Sustainable Funding for Research Software Engineers

Research Software Engineers (RSEs) play a crucial role in modern research, yet current research funding structures in the Netherlands create significant barriers to their sustainable employment. A recent report identified several regulatory constraints: prohibiting using grant funding on employees with permanent contracts, salary caps that may limit appropriate compensation, and the divide between scientific/support staff classifications. These create challenges for institutions to provide stable, long-term positions and career development for RSEs, despite their essential contributions to research.

The goal of the “Investigating possibilities to stimulate sustainable funding for RSEs”  working group is to analyse relevant funding rules and policies that apply to research-performing organisations in the Netherlands and to suggest amendments. This includes mapping the policy landscape to identify key decision-makers and potential allies, analysing how different funders' restrictions impact funding RSE positions, proposing policy amendments to align funding structures and policies with the needs of institutions who employ RSEs, and creating a roadmap for implementing these amendments.If you would like to get involved (as part of the WG or the sounding board) or share your experiences, please contact the chair Pamela Wochner: P.Wochner@tudelft.nl