Open Source Programs Office receives grant to establish Research Software Support Network

Gathering and analyzing massive data sets couldn't happen without research software. Now, thanks to a $750,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Open Source Programs Office, or OSPO, based at the Sheridan Libraries, is creating a Research Software Support Network to aid and coordinate researchers' use of software across Johns Hopkins University. The new initiative will launch this month and span two years.

"Academic libraries have long been recognized as hubs of knowledge, discovery, and collaboration and now we are applying our expertise to the ways in which research happens today," says Elisabeth Long, dean of Sheridan Libraries and University Museums. "By spearheading this initiative, we can support the cutting-edge research happening across campus and ensure that it will remain accessible long into the future."

Research software, or code that allows researchers to collect or generate new data or to analyze and make meaning of existing data, is essential to modern research, with studies showing that more than 90% of researchers rely on it and more than 60% couldn't continue their work without it. Yet support for researchers who develop software remains fragmented at most institutions, including Johns Hopkins. Researchers often acquire programming skills out of necessity to answer their research questions while lacking access to specialized engineering expertise or familiarity with software development best practices and guidance.

The Research Software Support Network, or RSSN, will serve as a centralized resource that connects researchers and research labs that create and maintain software with support services across the university. Governed by a community of campus partners, the RSSN will provide pathways to expertise, tools, and best practices—ultimately enabling researchers and software engineers of all skill levels to create more robust and sustainable research software.

A key component of the project is a new research software assessment process designed to help researchers identify critical project needs and connect with appropriate support pathways.

"This innovative initiative will fill a critical need in the research software ecosystem at Johns Hopkins and serve as a replicable model for other research institutions across the nation," says Denis Wirtz, vice provost for research and an engineering professor at Johns Hopkins.

Marc Overcash, vice president and deputy chief information officer at Johns Hopkins, notes that "by improving the discoverability and accessibility of research software services, the RSSN will empower talented researchers at Hopkins with timely access to technical expertise, mentorship, and best practices. The network's processes for assessing user and project needs, and for matching these with appropriate resources, will create a more equitable and effective environment in which innovation can flourish."

The project is led by Bill Branan, director of both the Digital Research and Curation Center and the Johns Hopkins OSPO, and Megan Forbes, program manager of the OSPO. The RSSN development process will be led by a planning group that includes representatives from Information Technology at Johns Hopkins, Research IT, Johns Hopkins Data Science and AI Institute, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, and the Sheridan Libraries, with plans to expand partnerships across campus.

The initiative aligns closely with the university's Ten for One strategic framework, which calls for removing barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration and providing outstanding support services for research.

Researchers, research software engineers, and campus service providers interested following or participating in the creation and work of the RSSN are encouraged to join the RSSN mailing list or contact ospo@jhu.edu.