HIFIS Software will build and foster communities to support the necessary cultural change in science when dealing with research software. We will build and run an exchange network between the Helmholtz centers and will also provide guidance on how to build communities of practice.
HIFIS Community Services
Helmholtz Software Spotlights
The Helmholtz Software Spotlights is the public face of the Helmholtz Network for Research Software Engineering and shall become a unique place across all research fields presenting best in class software in different categories from all Helmholtz centres to the public and interested stakeholders in one place. Opening research software as a product of the scientific work and a backbone of modern science helps acquiring cooperation internationally, for future scientific endeavors with new partners, for the transfer of knowledge into society and industry, and for adoption of research result by the industry. The collection is intended to become a "flagship" of the Helmholtz Association for research software that appeals equally to research, citizens, industry and politics.
Helmholtz Research Software Directory
As software becomes more and more important within research, the more we see the need for a research software directory (RSD). We think, research software and Research Software Engineers will benefit from a RSD in several points. First, an RSD highlights research software as an equal research output to other publication types. Furthermore, a software directory will promote the importance of Research Software Engineers as integral part of the scientific community. Lastly, an RSD will support scientists and software engineers, to both discover and promote software relevant to their research topic. We are currently establishing a Helmholtz-wide RSD by building on top of the open source RSD by the netherlands eScience center. Active development has started in March 2022 in close collaboration with our dutch partners. Since July 2022, a preview version of the Helmholtz RSD is available under helmholtz.software.
Society of Research Software Engineering
As part of our community activities we are also active within the global RSE community. We share their vision of giving software a more dominant role within research and establishing research software as essential outcome of research activities. As part of our common activities, we participate regularly in community meetings or calls and co-organise RSE related events. So far we contributed to the following conferences: