Midterm Review
This report draws together some of the achievements of the Software Sustainability Institute since its foundation in 2010.
The document comprises 12 case studies that demonstrate the key role that the SSI has played in improving research culture, revolutionising access to software training and working with our collaborators to develop policies that better recognise and support the vital role of software in research.
Reports on software use and needs in the UK research community
From 2021 to 2023, we conducted studies commissioned by different research councils ( to understand software use and needs within their communities. We have published or will soon publish reports for each one of these studies:
- Shaping data and software policy in the arts and humanities research community, commissioned by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. Access the report.
- The report on the AHRC digital/software requirements survey was published in 2021 and commissioned by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. Access the report.
- Understanding the software and data used in the social sciences, commissioned by the Economic and Social Research Council. Access the report (available soon).
- Software and skills for research computing in the UK, funded through the UK Digital Research Infrastructure programme. Access the report (available soon).
Reports on software use and needs in the UK research community
From 2021 to 2023, we conducted studies commissioned by different research councils ( to understand software use and needs within their communities. We have published or will soon publish reports for each one of these studies:
Shaping data and software policy
Shaping data and software policy in the arts and humanities research community, commissioned by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. Access the report.
AHRC digital/software
The report on the AHRC digital/software requirements survey was published in 2021 and commissioned by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. Access the report.
Intermediate research software skills course
Our foundation-level training materials have been hugely popular among researchers and the need for advanced knowledge, which is required for collaborative research software development is beyond the scope of foundation teaching. To address this, we created open-source materials on collaborative research software development in 2021.
To date, this 5-day course on intermediate research software skills has trained 297 RSEs at 15 workshops.
Our foundation-level training materials have been hugely popular among researchers and the need for advanced knowledge, which is required for collaborative research software development is beyond the scope of foundation teaching. To address this, we created open-source materials on collaborative research software development in 2021.
To date, this 5-day course on intermediate research software skills has trained 297 RSEs at 15 workshops.