Impact and Broad Horizons: Jason’s Story

"During lunch breaks we have the most wide-ranging conversations about every conceivable topic. And of course, we all share a passion for research software."

I’ve been working at the eScience Center since the very beginning. I started my career in Computer Science at VU University Amsterdam where I was doing research into high-performance distributed computing. Our team at the VU increasingly collaborated with researchers from other research domains, helping them make their computational work more efficient. I joined the eScience Center right after it was established in 2012, as its goals aligned exactly with what I was doing already. 

As the eScience Center grew, I became more involved in management and strategy. We began to determine the technological direction we wanted to take ourselves, instead of mainly acting on the questions we were asked. During this time, my own focus shifted from high-performance computing to topics relating to research software quality, FAIRness and impact, and how to ensure that research software and RSEs get recognition for their contribution to research. Much of this work takes place in national and international collaborations. In this context, I have also been closely involved in developing the Research Software Directory, an open-source platform designed to enhance the visibility, accessibility, and impact of research software.

“You don’t necessarily have to specialise in a specific subject. In our projects, you can work with many different disciplines and technologies.”

What’s so special about the eScience Center is that there are lots of opportunities to develop yourself. You don’t necessarily have to specialise in a specific subject. In our projects, you can work with many different disciplines and technologies. This allows you to broaden your horizon and even change your expertise completely. 

The other great thing about the eScience Center is the mix of people. The people who work here have very diverse backgrounds. During lunch breaks we have the most wide-ranging conversations about every conceivable topic. And of course, we all share a passion for research software. There is a lot of expertise here, and there is so much happening in our projects: we always have plenty to talk about. 

–Jason Maassen, Product Development Lead