If learning is a journey, how do we create better maps?

Research relies on software and data – but how do we learn the skills to make use of them? Research Software Engineering is developing as a profession, working as part of the research team to improve the software used in research. They enable good practices in research software and thus make research more open and efficient. Despite the importance of Research Software Engineers, the majority of the existing RSE community are self-taught. There is a gap in professional education and cohort network for RSEs: even more so for those specialising in High Performance Computing. UNIVERSE-HPC or ‘Understanding and Nurturing an Integrated Vision for Education in RSE and HPC’ has been exploring the different ways in which people from a wide diversity of disciplines and backgrounds can be helped to obtain the skills and experience they require to have a successful RSE career. This talk will introduce some of the that we have developed, from facilitating personal learning pathways and curriculum development, to flexible training platforms and course delivery choices, to building an engaged community of practitioners. Although UNIVERSE-HPC is finishing, this work is being continued through projects such as CHARTED and DRIFT, as well as through international initiatives. This will provide clear routes to enable more people from a wide diversity of disciplines and backgrounds to obtain the skills and experience they require to have a successful RSE career: working within centres of excellence, RSE groups, and embedded in research groups. This talk was presented at the UNIVERSE-HPC event "HPC-Ready: Developing RSE and HPC skills".in Edinburgh on 27 Mach 2025