About us

We’re passionate about the possibilities of digital for science and scholarship

The Netherlands eScience Center is the Netherlands’ national centre for research software. As an independent foundation with around 60 passionate people, we empower researchers and challenge them to do ‘eScience’ better or differently.  

Learn more about our organizational strategy for 2021-2025. 

Who are we? 

We are a centre of research expertise that since 2012 has been uniquely positioned as an independent foundation, financed by NWO – the Dutch Research Council – and SURF, the Dutch organization for IT in education and research. The core activities of the eScience Center are carried out by Research Software Engineers (RSEs). RSEs are high-end, university-level specialists who do two things: they do research using digital technologies and methodologies, and they engineer software.  

What is our vision? 

Our vision is a thriving research community where researchers in all disciplines can make use of advanced software, computing and digital technologies, keeping the Netherlands at the forefront of research.  

What is our mission? 

Our mission is to empower researchers through innovative software.  

To carry it out, we work in two ways: by collaboratively designing sustainable software, and building digital skills and expertise.  

Ultimately our relationship to the academic world is one of mutual benefit; we share the digital skills and knowledge needed to develop and apply research software, and gain insight into the needs of research communities in doing so. 

What is eScience? 

We are the Netherlands eScience Center. But what is eScience? eScience stands for ‘enhanced science’. It refers to computer-assisted research made possible by advanced software. Our role is to help researchers answer challenging questions by applying innovative or specialized research software. Relevant eScience technologies range from machine learning and visualization to handling sensor data and high-performance computing. Other key aspects of eScience at the eScience Center are software quality, sustainability and reusability. 

Why can the eScience Center make a difference? 

Much research cannot be carried out without advanced research software. The eScience Center has the largest concentration of dedicated, high-level research software expertise in the Netherlands. This allows us to apply technologies across disciplines and oversee research software needs across disciplines. In addition, the quality of our expertise sets us apart. We combine insight into methodology with advanced engineering skills, and have specialized expertise in a range of areas. Broadly, these are artificial intelligence, analytics, data processing, computing and software quality. 

With whom do we work? 

We work with academic researchers based in and to some extent outside the Netherlands, and do so directly in both our projects and training programmes. We work with research support staff only by way of exception, mostly in our training programme. We do not teach or train BA or MA students, but we welcome them as interns. We also work together with advocates for research software, such as policy makers and funders, both nationally and internationally. 

How do we work? 

We carry out joint research with other researchers in projects of varying size, through an in-kind investment of RSEs from the eScience Center. Projects are awarded through calls for proposals. All projects are required to connect with communities around the research software, so as to encourage software sustainability. Our RSEs also contribute to training and workshops focused on open source programming and advanced digital technologies.  

Learn more about what it’s like to work with the eScience Center on a project.  

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