eScience Center Fellowship 2024-2025 (Netherlands)

The eScience Fellowship Programme is aimed at members of the academic research community, working in the Netherlands, who are passionate to act as ambassadors for the use (and reuse) of research software. Research software can be any piece of code, script, package, tool, library, or programme written for the purpose of being used in research. The Fellowship Programme supports those who want to promote or improve the awareness and use of open and sustainable research software within their institute or academic community. In 2024-2025, they expect to grant 20 applicants an eScience Center Fellowship.

Each Fellow is expected to carry out activities to this end within the duration of their Fellowship (12 months). Any activities related to improving awareness or use of research software will be considered. Applicants are also welcome to use the Fellowship to boost existing initiatives or activities that fit the purpose of the programme.

The eScience Center and its Fellowship Programme support Open Science principles. They encourage applications to include activities that focus on open-source software and aim to make their outcomes openly available to relevant communities.

Benefits of being a Fellow

The eScience Center will support the Fellows to ensure the successful completion of their planned activities. During the 12 months of the Fellowship, they offer Fellows:

• A point of contact at the eScience Center, who can give guidance on the Fellow’s planned activities and put the Fellow in touch with other (eScience Center) experts. eScience Center staff will spend a maximum of 40 hours in guidance and consultancy to the Fellow during the Fellowship year.
• Support to spend up to €2000 towards expenses and consumables.
• Have access to Special Interest Groups (SIGs) meetings at the eScience Center. The Center has a few different SIGs where employees meet to share and learn about different topics. There are SIGs on data analytics, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, software sustainability, soft skills and more.
• The opportunity to join relevant eScience Center meetings to stay updated about technological developments in specific academic disciplines.
• A professional workshop that will help them with their skills to create impact within their institute or research community.
• The opportunity to reach a wider audience through the eScience Center network. For example, there may be opportunities to publish relevant blog posts on the eScience Center website, or Fellows are invited for presentations at eScience Center events.
• Three gatherings with other Fellows a year in an informal setting, to exchange experiences and expand their network.
• Visibility on the eScience Center website as an eScience Center Fellow.

Examples of relevant Initiatives and Activities Include

• Creating a tutorial around a research software package developed in-house.
• Creating a series of videos on good research software practices.
• Inviting speakers on the topic of sustainable research software for an interactive seminar.
• Running a hackathon where researchers can improve the reusability of their research software and exchange ideas.
• Setting up a discipline-specific community to exchange expertise about digital tools within the applicant’s field.
• Increasing the visibility and awareness of research software in the applicant’s field.
• Increasing the visibility, appreciation and wellbeing of researchers who write code in any way.

Who may apply?

• Applicants should be passionate about research software and be able to act as an ambassador for research software. Applicants should be based in the Netherlands.
• Applicants for the fellowship programme could be:
  • A researcher who focuses on the application of research software as part of their research,
  • or, a developer who writes tools for researchers,
  • or, a research software engineer who supports the work of researchers with software,
  • or, an advocate for best practice in software use for your research domain.
  • or, an individual in a leadership role in projects or organisations that make heavy use of research software.

For more information, visit Netherlands eScience Center.