Research is becoming increasingly digital and reliant on software. As a result of this reliance on software, a new role within the research ecosystem has emerged: the Research Software Engineer (RSE). Research Software Engineers, whose professional focus is centered around developing and contributing to research software, bring software engineering skills and practices to research to create more robust, manageable, and sustainable research software. These RSEs are contributing in an increasingly meaningful way to the computational science and engineering research ecosystem.
As institutions and organizations have begun to formally support and recognize the role, the number of individuals identifying and associating with the RSE role has steadily increased. Since its formation in 2018, the US Research Software Engineer Association, currently with almost 800 members, has seen a significant increase in both activity and membership. Despite the recent growth and community acceptance of the RSE concept, the RSE career path remains new within the academic research world and as a result, RSE career paths remain confusing and opaque. This panel is intended to provide attendees with an opportunity to hear from established RSEs and RSE leaders about the current state of the profession as well as the career opportunities and challenges currently facing the RSE field within academic institutions.
