D6.4 Policy Brief I

Strong, sustainable research software is essential to protect Europe’s global research leadership and ensure public investments deliver maximum impact. To this end, research software is a critical infrastructure for Europe’s knowledge economy. Strengthening its quality and sustainability advances digital sovereignty, secures competitiveness, and bolsters the innovation goals of the European Research Area. Research software underpins the majority of modern scientific discoveries, yet its quality and sustainability are not systematically supported. To safeguard reproducibility, maximize the impact of public investment, and maintain Europe’s global leadership in research and innovation, dedicated action on research software quality is essential. Public investment in research depends increasingly on software that is robust, sustainable, and trustworthy. Strengthening research software quality is therefore critical to maximizing returns on Europe’s scientific and technological leadership. The ReSA/RDA FAIR for Research Software Working Group defines research software as “source code files, algorithms, scripts, computational workflows and executables that were created during the research process or for a research purpose.” 1single use analysis developed by a “researcher who codes” for their immediate needs and to foundational and widely used software developed by Research Software Engineer (RSE) professionals who combines expertise in software development with a deep understanding of research practices. The EVERSE project aims to become a common European reference point for good practices in research software, driven by community engagement. It is essential to adopt a shared definition of research software quality, along with recognized indicators across domains, to maintain and build upon past investments while addressing reproducibility, maintainability, security, code mobility, and green computing challenges. Recognizing and rewarding contributions in research software is equally crucial for formalizing the role of Research Software Engineers (RSEs) and supporting capacity-building efforts to professionalize the field. In addition, strengthening community-building efforts and bridging diverse groups, which include the wider community of researchers who code to the more formal RSE societies (SocRSE, RSE.de), and initiatives (Carpentries, Research Software Alliance) will further reinforce collaboration. Ultimately, EVERSE seeks to leverage Europe’s research software capacity to develop a resilient, independent, and strategically valuable ecosystem, fostering diversity while encouraging convergence to maximize return on investment and global competitiveness. This document provides an initial set of clear and actionable recommendations that directly stem from the collective experience, expertise and efforts of the EVERSE project members.