News

As part of our FutuRSI community activities, we have opened a discussion on our Adhocracy page around one of the central questions of our work: Which terms are best suited to describe the research software ecosystem and its elements?

In the proposed text, we describe the different actors, structures, elements, and relationships that shape the ecosystem and connect its different parts. Our goal is to develop a shared understanding of the ecosystem in order to identify needs, gaps, and future directions for the sustainable support of research software in Germany in a next step.

Recently, the FutuRSI team came together for an intensive in-person meeting to discuss the next steps in conceptualizing a future Research Software Institution (RSI) in Germany. The discussions focused on the long-term vision of the institution, different user groups, and the role of a central “Nexus” within the research software ecosystem.

An Open and Connected Vision

One of the key outcomes of the meeting was the shared vision of creating an open and inclusive structure for all actors in the German research software ecosystem. The planned “Nexus” is intended to serve as a visible, trustworthy, and coordinating body.

What direction should a national Research Software Institution in Germany take? This question accompanied us throughout deRSE26. In conversations with the community, it quickly became clear that there is not only a wide range of ideas, but also a fairly consistent sense of what is most urgently needed to sustainably strengthen research software in Germany.