Invitation to take part in the 2026 International RSE Survey
South African researchers who write code for research are invited to contribute to the 2026 International Research Software Engineering (RSE) Survey. Participating in this process offers a way to amplify South African and African perspectives in a global dataset that informs institutional strategies, national advocacy, and international funding. The survey underpins a major world-wide effort to understand how research software is developed, sustained and supported.
Local participation will help ensure that the experiences and needs of research software developers in South Africa are visible in local and international evidence and policy discussions. This is particularly important as research software plays an increasingly central role in modern research across all disciplines, from data analysis and computational modelling to digital humanities and field sciences.
Research software including code, scripts, workflows, models and computational tools, is foundational to research productivity and integrity. Yet the people who build and maintain that software are often under-recognised and under-resourced. The international RSE survey collects detailed information on job roles, working practices, tools, collaboration and job satisfaction, closing on 20 March 2026. It is open to anyone whose work involves developing code or software for academic research, regardless of formal job titles.
Why your participation matters
South Africa has been part of the RSE community for several years, with local participation in earlier iterations of the survey and ongoing efforts to grow research software practice and recognition. Coincidently very little is known about the South African research software landscape. In past surveys a total of 22 (2017), 23 (2018), and 2 (2022) responses were received. Without data, it is difficult to design relevant training activities, identify challenges that can be addressed, and motivate for funding to support this community’s work.
Input will feed into evidence used locally and globally to design supportive structures and initiatives. The UCT eResearch Centre also aims to align its programme of activities to information gleaned from the survey results. The UCT RSE programme for 2026 is due to be published online in the coming weeks.
How to take part
You do not need to have the formal title of “research software engineer” – if you write or maintain software as part of your research work, your perspective matters.
- Access the survey here
- Available languages: English, French, German, Spanish
- Estimated time: approximately 20 minutes
- Closing date: 20 March 2026
- UCT Ethics Approved: IFHREC/02301/2025
If you have any questions, please reach out to UCT eResearch: eresearch@uct.ac.za.