The role of RSE

What is Research Software Engineering?

Research Software Engineering (RSE) refers to the practices and roles that ensure research software is:

• correct and reliable,
• reusable and maintainable,
• documented and reproducible,
• FAIR and openly shareable where possible.

RSE work is not limited to people with “RSE” in their job title; many support roles perform RSE tasks as part of their work.

Software-focused support

• Developing and maintaining research code
• Improving workflows and automation
• Introducing testing and CI

Reproducibility & sustainability

• Packaging and environment management
• Documentation and onboarding
• Long-term maintenance considerations

Advisory & coordination

• Translating research needs into technical solutions
• Aligning software, data, and infrastructure practices
• Supporting interdisciplinary teams

Training

• Training researchers and colleagues
• Developing templates and guidance
• Scaling good practices across projects

How success is measured

Across support roles, success often looks like:

• reduced friction in research workflows,
• fewer recurring technical issues,
• easier onboarding for new contributors,
• improved reproducibility and transparency.