RSE as a Service
Research supported by professional software. For us, Research Software Engineering (RSE) is not merely an IT service, but a close, research-oriented collaboration with researchers.
Our Services
Do you need a bespoke technical solution or research software? We will work with you to clarify your objectives, user groups and technical requirements. Our RSE team will handle the requirements analysis, concept development, and the development and customisation of the research software, so that you can focus on your research questions.
The RSE team works closely with your project or research group, advising on suitable technologies and software architectures. In doing so, it shares its knowledge, methods and best practices directly within the project. Collaborating with the RSE team enhances the quality, sustainability and reusability of the software developed.
The SUB-RSEs can be integrated into ongoing projects or can participate as infrastructure and development partners as early as the application phase (e.g. DFG, BMBF, EU).
Existing solutions are further developed so that they can be used for other projects, users or institutions (modularisation, documentation, standards, FAIR compliance).
Together, we work out which technical objectives can be realistically and sustainably achieved within the scope of a project or funding application. This includes support with applying for external funding, such as drafting technical work packages, planning time and resources, and describing software sustainability. Instead of (or in addition to) hiring student assistants, PhD students or postdocs for primarily technical tasks, the RSE team at the SUB offers targeted, professional support.
- Requirements analysis and concept development
- Consultancy on technologies and software architectures
- Development and customisation of research software
- Support with third-party funding applications
Together with the GWDG, we provide high-performance computing (HPC) resources for computationally intensive applications – such as machine learning, complex data analysis or simulations.
The GWDG also provides support and advice on
- code optimisation
- performance analysis and
- scientific data management.
Find out more about the use of high-performance computing in the digital humanities here.
Who we are
Our interdisciplinary team of software developers, project coordinators and RSE specialists will support you throughout every stage of your research projects.
Experienced contact persons will be on hand to assist you at every stage of your project:
- Project idea: Mustafa Dogan and Kristine Schima-Voigt
- Software development & customisation: Ingo Pfennigstorf
- Methodology & Agility: Kay Liewald
Get in touch!
Our software engineering workflow
- Agile development: Short development cycles, close coordination with users and project partners
- Open standards and interfaces: Sustainable integration into existing infrastructures (e. g. via REST APIs, IIIF, TEI, METS/MODS)
- Transparent architectural decisions: Documented in the internal Technical Reference (GitLab)
- Quality assurance and code review: Embedded in the Software Quality Working Group and our long-term archiving policy
- Containerised systems: Use of Kubernetes and modern CI/CD processes
- Traceability & reusability: Version control and documentation via GitLab
Our Key Areas
Our RSE team is available as an infrastructure and development partner for all matters relating to bespoke software development, computer-aided research, data management, workflow automation, scaling, the provision of demonstrators and web services, collaborative working, reproducible research, optimisation, high-performance computing, AI and related issues. We work closely with libraries, data centres and research institutions on national and international projects.
From research and presentation systems to digital editions and tools for research data, the RSE team at Göttingen University Library designs modern, scalable and user-friendly software solutions. Key areas of focus include:
- Web-based portals and viewers: Development of modern front-ends for exploring complex collections (more on this under Digital Tools).
- Digital editions and collections: cataloguing and making cultural heritage accessible through specialised digital frameworks (more on this under Digital Editions)
- AI-supported text and image analysis: Use of machine learning for full-text indexing (OCR/HTR), automated metadata extraction and AI-based quality assurance.
- Knowledge graphs and the Semantic Web: Modelling and implementation of Linked Open Data (LOD), graph databases and ontologies for linking heterogeneous research data.
- Research data management and repositories: Development of sustainable systems for storage, archiving and publication in accordance with the FAIR principles (more on this under Research Data).
- Containerised, sustainable software and system infrastructures: Cloud-native deployment (e. g. Docker, Kubernetes) for scalable and reproducible research environments.
Projects and Achievements
Examples of our RSE Service
- iBeetle-Base: Development into a networked, interactive and expandable database for phenotypic data
- GRK 2455 (qmbench): Evaluative experiments for numerical quantum chemistry