
The researcher programmer, a new species? (2012) - amelius
http://dirkgorissen.com/2012/03/26/the-researcher-programmer-a-new-species/
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Xophmeister
I work as a software developer in a scientific research institute with a large
and mature informatics contingent. I've not been there long enough for my work
to directly facilitate research -- although the scope is certainly there and
it's definitely starting to creep in, which is cool -- but plenty of my
colleagues have made really meaningful contributions to the field. Moreover,
while I appreciate it's more of an exception, there seems to be a well-defined
career path for developers that doesn't involve going into management.

I realise this is anecdata, but I suppose my point is that if an
institution/field can see the benefits of software engineering skills -- i.e.,
ascribes it value -- then you're good to go and can choose where on the
developer-researcher spectrum you're most comfortable. That mobility fosters a
positive feedback loop with an institute's employees, so they get the best out
of them.

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analog31
_To my knowledge there simply is no career path at research institutions for
this type of role. One of the reasons cited for this is that the main output
of this new species is software, something which is not valued up to the same
level as a publication._

To be fair, there is practically no career path for anybody. Most people who
join as post-docs will leave as post-docs.

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alepper
If you're based in the UK and interested in research software, you might want
to look into 'The UK Community of Research Software Engineers'[1] and The
Software Sustainability Institute[2]. From what I've seen, the latter in
particular are exploring pragmatic ways to make software engineering more
compatible with the expectations (e.g. citations) of academic employers.

[1] [http://www.rse.ac.uk](http://www.rse.ac.uk) [2]
[http://www.software.ac.uk](http://www.software.ac.uk)

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adrianN
How would I find a job like this?

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provemewrong
Also interested. I can find job offers, but probably lack qualification. What
would be the best way to learn scientific or research programming and data
science?

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chrisseaton
Do a research apprenticeship - a PhD - which the article says most of these
people have.

