| Hauptseite > Publikationsdatenbank > Establishing central Research Software Engineering units in German research institutions |
| Journal Article | FZJ-2026-04470 |
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2026
F1000 Research Ltd
London
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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.12688/f1000research.171263.2 doi:10.34734/FZJ-2026-04470
Abstract: This position paper urges decision makers in Germany to establish central Research Software Engineering (RSE) units within their institutions. The focus is not put primarily on the establishment of RSE services in general, as this has been done already elsewhere. Instead, we highlight central RSE units. Motivation for their existence is discussed, underpinned by working examples both in neighbouring fields as well as outside of Germany. The heart of this paper is a vision of a central RSE unit, its structure, and the definition of core support modules. We collected feedback from existing RSE departments and found that there is considerable diversity within the module distribution, even in such a small sample. These modules include consultation and development services, and infrastructure provisioning. RSE units do not necessarily need to provide all support modules. Our ideas take inspiration from existing RSE units in the UK and US, and adapt those to the German academic environment. An initial survey finds that there is considerable diversity within the module distribution, even within the few considered groups. We discuss initial observations on possible clusters, but further studies are needed. Finally, we discuss realisation strategies. While this paper focuses mostly on the German academic environment, some general strategies should also apply elsewhere.
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