Two Years of EVERSE: Making Research Software a First-Class Pillar of Research

The EVERSE project was established to transform how Europe's research community approaches software quality. At the two-year mark, its services are now well consolidated, and its strategic priority is ready to transition from implementation to dissemination, enabling researchers to enhance the quality and sustainability of their software through structured, community-driven methodologies. As project coordinator, Fotis Psomopoulos emphasised at EVERSE's second General Assembly at CERN, that this final year represents a pivotal shift toward broader community engagement and impact. 

EVERSE members at CERN for the 2nd general assembly. Credit: EVERSE

What Have We Built?

Over the past two years, EVERSE has developed a comprehensive ecosystem of tools, resources, and services designed to elevate research software quality across Europe and beyond:

• Research Software Quality Toolkit (RSQKit): A collaborative knowledge base providing practical guidance on software tasks, real-world Research Software Stories, and role-specific advice for researchers who code, research software engineers, PIs, policy makers, and trainers.
• TechRadar: A dashboard that collects, classifies, and presents tools and services for assessing and enhancing research software quality.
• Software Quality Dimensions and Indicators: A catalogue of 29 quality indicators across 12 dimensions, derived from existing best practices and maintained openly on GitHub.
• Training Catalogue: A portal where trainees find best practices and trainers showcase their learning resources, such as videos, tutorials, courses, workshops, and more.
• Credit and Recognition Framework: Linking attribution with visible recognition to support fundamental change in how research software contributions are valued.

Opening to the Community

EVERSE resources enable stakeholders to enhance their software development practices while we work collectively to define quality standards and principles for research software, and to strengthen recognition mechanisms for software developers contributing to research endeavors.

As part of engagement with the EVERSE Network, the project organises a monthly webinar series that alternate between general research software quality topics and training sessions, featuring both project members and invited guests.

Highlights of EVERSE Community Engagement Event

On February 5, 2026, EVERSE brought together researchers, software engineers, and decision-makers from across Europe for their hybrid community engagement event at CERN and online.

The event brought together diverse perspectives and expertise from across the research software ecosystem. CERN leaders Alberto di Meglio and Anne Gentil-Beccot shared their approaches to building robust software development practices and fostering an Open Science culture. Project members had the opportunity to present the new suite of tools while learning directly from representatives of EOSC Science Clusters and other community contributors who shared the unique challenges they face in their software work.

A panel discussion explored the state of the research software community, covering training methodologies, credit attribution mechanisms, and long-term sustainability strategies. Participants then engaged in interactive breakout sessions to explore tools and provide constructive feedback for future refinement.

All presentations are available at https://indico.cern.ch/event/1606722/.

Looking Ahead

As the project enters its final year, the primary objective is to transition these tools and frameworks to the broader research community, enabling them to develop more sustainable, high-quality research software.

As Alberto di Meglio, Digital Strategy Lead at CERN's CIO office, observed: recognising software as a first-class pillar of research requires not only a cultural shift but also strategic governance and institutional commitment. This captures EVERSE's goal to drive a fundamental change in how research software is valued, supported, and sustained across Europe's research community.

Want to get involved? Join the EVERSE Network, explore resources, and contribute at https://everse.software/.