Software Sustainability Institute
The Software Sustainability Institute (SSI) works in partnership with research communities to identify key software that needs to be sustained: a national facility, founded in April 2010 with funding from EPSRC, for users and developers of research software to ensure that software can continue to advance research.
It works with researchers to identify and shape the software considered to be important to their research, providing a range of free and paid for services which ensure that software is maintained, is made available to a wider user base, and that its potential for sustainability is maximised. Their vision is to make software useful for future generations of researchers by improving usability, maintainability and quality. The idea is to increase research productivity by enabling more people to use software, deliver added value by leveraging their expertise and connections, and ensure researchers can continue to use their chosen software as a cornerstone of their research. They work with groups to facilitate the self-sustainability of research software within the communities that develop and use it, drawing on a skilled team based at the Universities of Edinburgh, Manchester and Southampton. This team includes individuals with a breadth of experience in software development, project and programme management, publicity and dissemination, and community engagement.
[A number of slide-based presentations covering the issues are available through their SlideShare account page, SoftwareSaved]