Towards a National Research Software Engineering Capability: evidencing the impact of RSEs

We present an exciting new co-authored Roadmap outlining how to establish a national, people-centred Arts & Humanities (A&H) RSE Capability. Underpinned by a new evidence bank demonstrating the impact RSEs make on research, this work, though focused on one domain, has relevance across the research landscape. We reflect on the process of creating these outputs, including the careful community management and design that motivated a stakeholder group of 40 co-authors. We also address how we responded to an unexpected but vital funder question: ‘Where is the evidence that RSEs are worth investing in?’ The evidence bank provides a compelling answer, detailing how RSEs organise, interpret, and find meaning in vast and complex data, enabling outputs, accelerating research, and even reducing costs. The Roadmap acknowledges that infrastructure is both technical and social. Designed with a community of leaders and potential users, it responds to the need to avoid duplication by connecting and extending existing infrastructure. While rooted in A&H needs and challenges, it engages with the broader ecosystem, aiming for integration between domains rather than further separation. It is grounded in case studies that evidence existing impactful RSE capability models across A&H, cultural heritage, and social sciences and that highlight both the potential and need to scale: in terms of user communities, good practice, and innovation pathways. Crucially, the Roadmap also proposes a metascientific research effort to inform strategy, evaluate impact, and support the sector in adapting to evolving technologies and policies. All of this supports open scholarship practices to maximise impact, engagement, and value for money. We close by inviting reflection on how other disciplines have contributed to the Roadmap’s development, and how they too can benefit from what it sets out. A recording of this session is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Un7KrMzNp64