FutuRSI questions
2026 · Germany
Shaping a national research software institution
FutuRSI explores whether and how a national research software institution could strengthen Germany’s research software ecosystem. To inform that work, the 2026 International RSE Survey included five questions specifically for respondents in Germany.
The questions asked whether such an institution should be established and, if so, what it should do, how it should be structured, and how it could support community engagement and knowledge transfer. Respondents could also share further suggestions in their own words.
What the responses suggest
Taken together, the responses describe an enabling organisation that strengthens the existing ecosystem through coordination, advocacy, career and community support, and long-term software sustainability. They favour a distributed model that preserves local autonomy while supporting national coordination and expertise matching.
Enable the ecosystem
Coordination, advocacy, consulting, and community support took precedence over becoming a central software-production service.
Sustain software and careers
Long-term maintenance funding, permanent career paths, and professional recognition emerged as connected priorities.
Connect people and knowledge
Respondents favoured shared training resources, mentorship, and searchable directories for software and expertise.
Respondents also warned against excessive bureaucracy, top-down standardisation, and duplicating the work of existing organisations.
The pages in this section present each question’s results alongside a concise interpretation derived from FutuRSI’s community-feedback report.
The FutuRSI project is made possible by the Klaus Tschira Foundation.