ReSA convenes a number of successful forums that bring together key stakeholder groups in the international research software community. These forums foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and collective action to strengthen the research software ecosystem.

Current forums include:

• Research Software Community Leadership Forum - brings together research software community leaders to collaborate, share insights, and advance the research software ecosystem. It draws on the diverse expertise and perspectives of our stakeholders to ensure that decision-making is participatory and inclusive.
• Research Software Funders Forum - for initiatives that fund research software.
• Research Software Infrastructure (RSI) Forum - for infrastructure organisations that serve research software and that seek to help identify and resolve gaps and points of friction in using infrastructures in various research software use cases.
• Research Software Policy (RSP) Forum - for policymakers that focus on research, open science, and open source software, and influence policy at the national, regional, and/or international level.
• Metascience and Research Software (MaRS) Forum - for stakeholders that conduct research to understand implications of research software on the research ecosystem, particularly on the research process.
• Publishing Research Software (PubSoft) Forum - for publishers that share academic research and scholarship, including both traditional publishers that publish text and/or software papers.
• Skills and Training for Research Software (STaRS) Forum - for skills and training organisations/initiatives that focus on developing curricula and learning pathways to support the development of research software.
• International Council of RSE Associations

Supporting a forum

As demand for these forums exceeds ReSA’s current capacity, we invite organisations in the research software community to consider providing financial and/or in-kind contributions to an existing forum or creating additional forums that enable new groupings of stakeholders to identify the community-wide issues that would benefit from increased collaboration. Possible stakeholder groups and/or areas include research-performing software infrastructures, impact evaluation university consortia, and more.

Investment

USD $100,000 annually

ReSA supports stakeholder forums by providing structured spaces for ongoing collaboration, coordination, and innovation across the research software community. Modeled on the successful Research Software Funders Forum, forums reduce duplication and wasted effort by aligning initiatives with shared goals. ReSA ensures sustainability through regular meetings and asynchronous channels that keep members connected across time zones.

Forums are designed to attract a strong core membership while also encouraging broader participation, embedding diverse perspectives and inclusive practices from the outset. ReSA empowers members to shape agendas, lead discussions, and launch working groups or joint activities, fostering ownership and shared responsibility.

ReSA maintains forums by coordinating and managing all aspects of their operations. This includes:

• Meeting scheduling and communications
• Preparation of meeting materials – developing agendas, recording minutes, and compiling background or working documents needed for discussion.
• Development of forum outputs – drafting and coordinating key deliverables such as reports, project proposals, or other outcomes of the forum’s work.
• Follow-up on meeting inputs – tracking and reminding participants when inputs, feedback, or deliverables are due.
• Authoring public communications – preparing external-facing content such as blogs, newsletter items, and other communications that share forum progress and impact.

Example: The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation provided financial support for the development of the Research Software Funders Forum, which has engaged over 60 funders since its inception in early 2022.

Value of supporting a ReSA forum

Funding a ReSA forum offers organisations a strategic opportunity to shape the future of research software and its role in advancing science. By supporting a forum, your organisation:

• Demonstrates global leadership in strengthening the research software ecosystem, helping to drive best practices, standards, and infrastructure that benefit the entire research community.
• Influences policy and practice by participating in conversations that identify shared challenges and co-develop solutions aligned with your organisational mission and strategic goals.
• Builds partnerships with peer funders, research institutions, policymakers, and infrastructure organisations through a trusted, neutral platform that supports international collaboration.
• Amplifies impact by supporting collective action that enhances the visibility, sustainability, and value of research software across disciplines and borders.
• Gains early insight into emerging trends, needs, and innovations in the research software space, informing your own funding strategies and priorities.

To express interest in supporting an existing forum—or to propose a new one that reflects your community’s priorities—please contact ReSA Director Michelle Barker.