Workshops

Research Data Automation with Globus Flows and Globus Compute

Lee Liming and Steve Turoscy

Learning Topic. This workshop will equip Research Software Engineers (RSEs) to automate research data processes using Globus Compute and Globus Flows: two parts of the Globus Platform. Globus Compute enables RSEs to securely execute Python functions on remote computers, including campus, cloud, and national-scale systems. Globus Flows provides secure, managed automation of complex workflows. Together, Globus Compute and Flows enable RSEs to construct data processing pipelines, managed and executed by Globus.

Establishing RSE Programs - From early stage formalization to mature models

Ian Cosden, Sandra Gesing and Adam Rubens

Discussion Topic. Research Software Engineering has emerged as a critical discipline at the intersection of research and software engineering. In recent years, as the demand for Research Software Engineers (RSEs) has increased, so has the emergence of dedicated RSE groups for such roles within research organizations. This trend underscores the recognition of the unique skill set and expertise that RSEs bring to research projects, bridging the gap between domain-specific knowledge and software development proficiency. However, the sustainability of these RSE teams relies heavily on effective business models that balance financial sustainability with academic and research goals in the research enterprise. This workshop will discuss the strategies for structuring and supporting RSE teams within research organizations, emphasizing the importance of aligning business objectives with the overarching mission of advancing science. By exploring diverse business models tailored to the specific needs and goals of RSE initiatives, organizations can not only ensure the longevity of their RSE teams but also maximize their impact on driving innovation and discovery across disciplines. We will discuss how to identify need, understand existing use cases, catalog assets to convey feasibility and how to determine the best program models to pursue. We aim to facilitate discussions on different organizational approaches, sustainable funding and growth strategies, and the evolution towards robust group models.

Structure

  • Assessing outstanding need – Talking, understanding, formalizing, synthesizing
  • RSE Business Models – Guest speaker lightning talks about their models viewed through 5 lenses
  • Interactive working group 1 – break out groups based on levels of maturity and organization type
  • Interactive working group 2 – new break out groups comprised of people from different organization types and levels of maturity

Emerging as a Team Leader through Cultural Challenges

Elaine M. Raybourn, Angela Herring and Ryan Shaw

In this interactive workshop we explore how meeting technical objectives depends critically on meeting cultural challenges within teams. Many small teams evolve naturally on a positive path because teams are often formed by friendly collaborators with common interests and goals. But as teams grow, they face new challenges, including fragmented time commitments, physically distributed developers, and growing numbers of stakeholders. These challenges make it significantly harder to maintain a healthy team culture. In addition, it becomes important to understand how to identify and responsibly use one’s informal influence to navigate organizations and galvanize team members. Although agile methodologies and modern software tools can help developers manage these challenges, these processes alone are insufficient. Thus, a growing number of teams are combining these methodologies with techniques that support a collaborative culture. We explore lightweight progress tracking, informal “tea-time”, hybrid scrums, human-centered design, empathy building, listening games, and hands on exercises with Legos. The session is 180 min of guided small group exercises and debriefing, which includes 30 min of large group discussion and retrospective. We would like to allow the workshop to continue to work through the break. We recap lessons learned and explore how culture affects team performance and emerging as a team leader. We focus on skill building in intercultural and interpersonal communication, and inclusion.

Special Workshop: Community discussion: teachingRSE project

Jan Philipp Thiele

Discussion Topic. In this workshop we want to include the wider community on the teachingRSE project that started out at deRSE23 in Paderborn. As a first output a paper on RSE competencies and responsibilities was written and we want to invite the wider RSE community to provide feedback to hopefully arrive at a common understanding of the skills of an RSE. Currently, the group is working on how to include teaching of RSE competencies into the wider academic infrastructure and for this we will break out into different groups centered around more specific questions, e.g. ‘Strategies for getting RSE topics included’, ‘Lessons learned in teaching at academic institutions’. Finally, we will discuss the plan going forward, including opportunities to participate regularly in the project.