Your Voice Matters: The International RSE Survey and Germany's Research Software Future

The International Research Software Engineer (RSE) Survey is live! If you develop research software in Germany, this is your chance to shape what comes next.

Take the survey here: https://www.researchsoftwaresurvey.org

This year’s survey includes specific questions about a potential national research software institution in Germany—what it should prioritise, how it might be structured, and how it could best support the RS ecosystem. Those responses will feed directly into FutuRSI’s work as we develop concrete concepts.

Why this survey matters for Germany

Research software powers nearly all modern science, but support for the people building it remains inconsistent. Career paths aren’t always clear, long-term funding is challenging to secure, and coordination across institutions is limited.

FutuRSI was created to explore how Germany can address these challenges more systematically. Understanding what the community needs is essential to that work, and the survey is an important tool for gathering that evidence. FutuRSI is learning about community needs through multiple approaches. The survey complements this work by reaching broadly across Germany—connecting with people who might not otherwise have a way to contribute their perspective.

The survey covers essential questions about job titles, education, working conditions, and demographics—all important for understanding the composition and needs of Germany’s research software community. It also asks something particularly relevant for FutuRSI: What should a German research software institution actually do? Participants can share their views on priorities, structure, and how best to support collaboration and knowledge sharing. Rather than just measuring the current state, the survey asks you to help design what could come next.

The responses will shape FutuRSI’s concept development. They’ll influence what a potential institution prioritizes and how it’s organized. The more people participate, the better we understand what support actually looks like across different fields, institutions, and career paths.

Who should take part?

You don’t need “RSE” in your job title. The survey is for anyone who writes software as part of research work:

• Researchers who code
• PhD students and postdocs writing analysis scripts
• Research software developers and data scientists
• Infrastructure and platform developers supporting research

If software is part of your research process, your experience counts.

How to participate

Take the survey: https://www.researchsoftwaresurvey.org

Previous iterations of this survey have helped launch RSE associations and inform funding decisions in multiple countries. Strong participation from Germany will help ensure that what we build next reflects the real needs and experiences of the research software community.

The survey takes about 15-20 minutes, can be taken in German or English, and is anonymous. It’s one of the most direct ways to contribute to shaping research software support in Germany.