RSE Secondment refers to buying/funding a significant proportion of RSE time over a significant period. During this time the RSEs activity will be directed toward your project. Depending on the stage of your project and/or your project goals the RSE time may be used in one or more of several ways. The exact scope of work will be discussed before the secondment begins.

Here we outline a non exhaustive list of activities a seconded RSE may undertake

RSEs may be seconded to write new code for a project. From scratch where no code exists or to add features to an existing codebase. The RSE will work with the researcher or group to understand their requirements the state of any existing code and provide an expert opinion on how best to implement the projects requirements.

Examples of this include:

• Writing a launcher for a GPU based Ising model 

When a code has been left without a maintainer and the group knowledge on how the code works has been lost useful research infrastructure can be lost.

RSEs are able to combine their research background and software engineering expertise to understand the code documenting it for future use. They will then modernise the code to enable it to be used by the research group and make the codebase maintainable by others.

Examples of this include:

• Refactoring a widely used astrophysics package to use open-source code making it suitable for community maintenance.

Researchers may want to develop a piece of code or data analysis that that is out of their skillset or remit in terms of technical aptitude. Proof of concept work takes an idea which may be theoretically possible but technically very difficult or require obscure methods. RSE time will be spend developing a proof of concept that to show that the idea can (or cannot) work allowing for a novel technique or a novel application of a technique to a new domain.

Examples of this include:

• In prep

Many researchers are self-taught knowing how to develop code but may lack understanding of code architecture. This becomes important when trying to develop codebases for release or larger projects that involve multiple people. RSEs can act as consultants to provide high level input to a project. For example; Directing research codebases in a way that avoid common pitfalls experienced when going from solo development to group development; Working on Dev-Ops such as testing frameworks, continuous integration and version control systems to make collaboration safer and easier; Providing a detailed review of a codebase being critical of potential areas of failure and documenting how to rebuild the code in a better way.

Examples of this include:

• Working with PBParam to provide Testing, CI, training and templates to allow for development and deployment of a python package to PyPi.
• Working with a Quantum Computing startup to provide an R&D tech stack.

Often researchers need a custom web presence for data collection or display. RSEs have skills in many popular and open source web technologies so can customise a website to a specific requirement. RSEs can also set up the web hosting on Warwick infrastructure ensuring compliance with GPDR and university policy.

Examples of this include:

• In prep

The RSEs at Warwick maintain an active community welcoming to researchers who code (or are interested in research code). We also engage RSEs regionally and nationally which helps to raise the profile of research software at Warwick in the wider stage.

Examples of this include:

• Hosting RSE Midlands
• Running Events at RSECon
• Termly Warwick RSE community events
• Participation in standards committees
• Support for SULIS+ and promotion at CIUK

The RSE community runs a large amount of ‘free’ software training. This training can be open-source training that has been reviewed by the RSEs so you can be sure it is of a high quality. Where there is a gap in what training exists and what we understand or have been told researchers need we write and deliver our own training courses.

Examples of this include:

• RSE Training Week
• In Prep

The RSE community provide ad hoc support and guidance to Warwick researchers. This includes, helping debug problems, advising on tools to solve a problem, answering questions about access to facilities. We provide these services ‘free’ at point of need and via several avenues.

Examples of this include:

• Drop In
• SCRTP Slack
• Code Review
• Bugzilla

The (inter)national RSE community has been pushing policy to positively impact the national research landscape. From advocacy on the necessity of software training for researchers to understanding of code as a 1^stclass research output. Progress is continually being made with funders adapting policy to fund RSE work in grants and expect to see software outputs where appropriate.

Examples of this include:

• Changes to UKRI policy
• Creation of RSE Fellowships (Heather Turner at Warwick)

Like other researchers RSEs give up some of their time to reviewing. This can be as a reviewer for research software specific publications or for papers that have a large software component in their original research area. Where RSEs may also be involved or interested due to ongoing projects in open source code they may work on reviewing (or creating) contributions to the collaborations.

Examples of this include:

• Review of Paper to JOSS

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This document is designed to outline the standard services and activities RSEs provide or undertake. Warwick RSEs/RSE Groups are in no way required to provide or undertake all of these activities not are they limited to the services and activities outlined here.