Funding Research Software Sustainably

The ARDC is pleased to be one of the first signatories of the Amsterdam Declaration on Funding Research Software Sustainability (ADORE.software). 

ADORE.software is the first step towards formalising, on a global level, the basic principles and recommendations related to funding the sustainability of research software, including the people needed to achieve this goal.

The crucial role of software in research is becoming increasingly apparent internationally, as is the urgent need to sustain it and to invest in the people who develop and maintain it. Research software sustainability is vitally important for the reproducibility of research outcomes and has a direct bearing on the process of research, including the efficient use of financial and human resources.

Organisations that invest in research software, like the ARDC, play a crucial role in ensuring its sustainability by structurally supporting it. The declaration was initiated in November 2022 by the Research Software Alliance (ReSA) and Netherlands eScience Center which organised the International Funders Workshop: The Future of Research Software. The Funders Workshop focused on creating the first draft of the declaration, and the ARDC was pleased to be part of it. Since the workshop, the research software community around the world, including members of the combined Research Data Alliance and Research Software Funders Forum provided input towards this release of the declaration.

Dr Andrew Treloar, Director, International Strategy, ARDC was involved in shaping the declaration. “Signing the Amsterdam Declaration shows the ARDC’s commitment to elevating research software in Australia. We are pleased to be part of the global community leading the way towards more sustainable research software to support ground-breaking research.”

Neil Chue Hong, Director, Software Sustainability Institute, UK, on behalf of the writing team, said, “We are excited to release Version 1.0 of the ADORE.software declaration! We hope that support for this set of principles and recommendations extends beyond a signature and is the first of many steps towards implementing these best practices to set a national and global precedent to raise recognition.”

Funding organisations that support research software, and/or the people who develop and maintain it are now invited to formally sign ADORE.software.

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The ARDC is funded through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) to support national digital research infrastructure for Australian researchers.