Proven national and international reference models point the way forward

Welcome to the fourth post in our six-part series exploring the future of research software in Germany. In each installment, we present opinion statements on why a national research software institution could and should be created to strengthen Germany’s research ecosystem.

There are numerous success stories, both domestically and abroad, that demonstrate the effectiveness of providing structured support for research in the digital age. This is why we have identified institutions that can help to leverage our initiative. Learning from the successes of initiatives and institutions can build momentum and demonstrate viable pathways forward. For instance, structures already exist around research data, texts and hardware that provide valuable support for researchers across the research ecosystem. These structures offer concrete opportunities for collaboration, coordination and knowledge exchange.

Germany already has successful horizontal structures in place from which lessons can be learned. The research data management ecosystem, comprising the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) and the data competence centres, can serve as a blueprint and a success story. Examples supporting high performance computing (HPC) include the regional bwHPC initiative of the state of Baden-Württemberg and the cross-regional NHR Alliance, which demonstrate successful centralised coordination in related areas that could help provide core facilities with a new mission. Furthermore, the recently institutionalized open-access.network provides transdisciplinary and centralised information on open access. Initiatives from other sectors focusing on software are particularly relevant. The Sovereign Tech Fund by the Sovereign Tech Agency is a prime example of successful open-source software funding. The Open Source Program Office initiative at the DigitalHub.SH in the state of Schleswig-Holstein demonstrates how open-source strategies can be supported at an institutional level.

At an international level, specific initiatives and institutions exist to centrally support the research software ecosystem nationally. A prime example is the UK’s Software Sustainability Institute, which has been helping people to build better and more sustainable research software since 2010. The Netherlands eScience Center also provides a strong national anchor point by concentrating the expertise in research software in a national centre. Another example is the Virtual Institute for Scientific Software by Schmidt Science, which offers an effective network transcending national borders. Furthermore, the training network “The Carpentries”, which is integrated into other organisations and teaches foundational coding to researchers worldwide, demonstrates supranational success. These diverse reference models prove the effectiveness and feasibility of structured approaches, providing valuable blueprints for a German research software institution.

A national research software institution can learn from proven national and international success models and build on them. It can adopt best practices and benefit from the experience of established initiatives through targeted collaboration and exchange, while taking into account German-specific factors and conditions.