Taskgroup updates

Behind the scenes, various taskgroups are working to professionalise and support the Dutch research community. From concrete guidelines for HR departments to national educational materials for Linked Open Data, here is an overview of the latest developments and where you can meet the working groups in the coming months.

Taskgroup on Standardised Job Profiles for Research Software Engineers

How do we properly position the Research Software Engineer (RSE) within Dutch universities? The Standardised Job Profiles for Research Software Engineers working group recently met with the maintenance team of the University Job Classification system (UFO) to discuss this very question.

The UFO team explained that the system is designed to be flexible: hybrid roles do not require a brand-new profile, but should instead use a combination of existing ones. Since a standalone RSE profile would overlap too much with current roles, the working group is taking a practical approach. We are currently putting the final touches on an advisory report that urges HR departments to provide RSEs with a combination of multiple UFO profiles, exactly as the system is intended.

Join us and share your thoughts! We will be presenting this advisory report at the Open Science Festival in Delft. In addition, we will be hosting a workshop in October during the NL-RSE meet-up to celebrate International Research Software Day. Will we see you there?

Taskgroup on Sustainable Funding for Research Software Engineers

Sustainable funding is vital for maintaining software quality and retaining talent within the Dutch research landscape. The Sustainable Funding for Research Software Engineers taskgroup has been working hard behind the scenes to map out the challenges and opportunities in this area.

We are pleased to announce that this working group will publish its final output and findings this autumn. Keep a close eye on our channels over the coming months for the exact release date!

Meet us in Delft and at the NL-RSE meet-up
Keen to hear more about our findings before the official release? Together with the other working groups, we have submitted a session to the Open Science Festival in Delft. We will also be present at the NL-RSE meet-up in October for International Research Software Day, where we will be hosting an interactive workshop. More details about this event will follow soon!

Taskgroup on Linked Open Data for Research

The taskgroup Linked Open Data for Research is actively developing open, national training materials on Linked Open Data, specifically designed for research support professionals and early-phase researchers.

Following presentations at the LCRDM Onboarding Day and the SURF Research Day, the structure of the training has now been officially agreed upon. Working group members are currently writing and reviewing various thematic modules using the TeachBooks platform. The strength of these modules lies in their strong focus on FAIR data and interoperability perspectives, combined with practical, real-world examples and hands-on exercises.

Community Review
Through these resources, we aim to accelerate the adoption of Linked Open Data within Dutch research institutions. The first modules are expected to become available for a broad community review later this year. Your feedback will be highly valued!