European Virtual Institute for Research Software Excellence

Project Information

EVERSE

Grant agreement ID: 101129744

DOI

10.3030/101129744

EC signature date 3 November 2023

Start date 1 March 2024

End date 28 February 2027

Funded under

• Research infrastructures

Total cost

€ 6 789 468,75

EU contribution

€ 6 789 468,75

Coordinated by

ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS
Greece

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EVERSE (European Virtual Institute for Research Software Excellence)

Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The EVERSE project addresses the increasing need for high-quality, reliable, and sustainable research software within the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). As software becomes a fundamental component of modern research, insufficient quality standards, lack of recognition for developers, and fragmented practices have limited reproducibility and reuse across disciplines. EVERSE responds by building a coordinated, community-led approach to software quality that aligns with FAIR and open science principles. The project’s main objective is to establish a collaborative framework for evaluating, verifying, and improving research software. Through initiatives such as the EVERSE Network, RSQKit, EVERSE TechRadar, training efforts, and recognition mechanisms for Research Software Engineers (RSEs), EVERSE promotes shared best practices, tools, and indicators that enhance software reliability and sustainability. Ultimately, the project aims to strengthen Europe’s capacity for trustworthy, reproducible, and transparent research by embedding software quality and recognition into the core of scientific practice.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The EVERSE project addresses the urgent necessity for dependable, high-quality, and sustainable research software within Europe’s scientific community. It brings together researchers, Research Software Engineers (RSEs), and other stakeholders to create a collaborative, community-driven framework for evaluating, verifying, and improving software quality. Through the launch of the EVERSE Network of Research Software Quality, the project has established a lasting structure for knowledge exchange and coordination, laying the foundation for a future Virtual Institute for Research Software Excellence. Key tools like the RSQKit and TechRadar offer selected best practices, tools, and validation steps, along with a complete training platform that builds skills and encourages the regular use of quality standards in different fields. By using and integrating current resources within the EOSC Science Clusters, EVERSE aims to standardise software quality practices and include ongoing evaluation processes in daily research activities. The project also encourages sustainability and acknowledgement by creating systems to give credit to RSEs and researchers for their work, linking these credits to established platforms like ORCID. In doing so, EVERSE builds a culture of excellence, collaboration, and long-term impact, ensuring that European research software is not only technically sound but also openly shared, reusable, and properly valued as a cornerstone of reproducible science.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The EVERSE project has delivered (and is currently working on) a set of complementary, community-driven outputs that collectively advance research software quality and sustainability beyond the current state of the art. These six results create a clear plan for making research software more reliable, transparent, and reusable in different fields within the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).

The RSQKit provides a structured and openly accessible knowledge base of best practices, tools, and guidelines for assessing and improving software quality. It goes beyond existing catalogues by combining community curation with dynamic versioning, ensuring continual evolution in line with emerging standards. The accompanying indicators and workflows introduce automated, interoperable mechanisms for evaluating software quality through continuous integration, enabling reproducibility and quality assurance to become integral to software development practices.

EVERSE TechRadar provides a community-approved summary of tools and technologies that help ensure research software quality, making it easier for users to find the right solutions and encouraging consistency across different scientific fields. The EVERSE training catalogue brings together more than 80 training resources to help researchers and Research Software Engineers (RSEs) strengthen their skills and ensure quality in their work, making it easier for them to find what they need.

The recognition framework represents a major cultural shift by establishing mechanisms to credit RSEs and researchers for their contributions to software development and quality assurance, integrating these acknowledgements into existing systems such as ORCID and APICURON. Finally, the EVERSE Network connects communities, initiatives, and infrastructures across Europe, providing a long-term collaborative structure that will evolve into a Virtual Institute for Research Software Excellence.

To ensure further uptake and sustainability, continued engagement with research communities, policy alignment with the EOSC and FAIR principles, and support for standardisation and interoperability are essential. Long-term success will also benefit from institutional recognition of software as a first-class research output, sustained funding for training and community activities, and integration of EVERSE tools into broader European research infrastructures.