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Department Optics and Beamlines

HZB-RSE

Research Software Engineering at HZB

Helping researchers build better, more sustainable scientific software — together.

What is HZB-RSE?

HZB-RSE is an effort to strengthen research software engineering across Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.
 
We aim to connect and support people who develop scientific software, make existing expertise more visible, and provide guidance where it creates real value. The goal is simple: improve scientific efficiency, sustainability, and reproducibility through better software practices.
 
This is not a central authority — it’s a collaborative initiative built around the needs of researchers.

Why this exists

At HZB, a large part of scientific work depends on software — often developed within individual groups.

This leads to common challenges:

  • Critical code maintained by a single person
  • Reinvented solutions across groups
  • Limited time for improving software quality
  • Difficulty reproducing or extending results

HZB-RSE exists to address these challenges by sharing knowledge, connecting people, and supporting better practices across the center.

What we offer

HZB-RSE provides consulting, guidance, and collaboration on research software — especially where it improves long-term sustainability and scientific impact.
 
We can support you with:

  • Version control (Git)
  • Testing and code quality
  • Reproducible research workflows
  • Packaging and distributing software
  • High-performance computing (HPC)
  • Continuous integration (CI/CD)
  • Documentation
  • Software design and architecture
  • Data pipelines and workflow tools
  • Code optimization and performance
  • Research data management
  • Coding with AI tools
  • Infrastructure (servers, cloud, databases)

We work across many languages, including:
Python · C/C++ · MATLAB · Julia · R · Bash · Java · Fortran
(with a particular focus on Python and C/C++)
 
If you’re unsure whether your topic fits — just ask.

How we work

HZB-RSE is service-oriented and collaborative.

  • We provide advice, feedback, and guidance, not gatekeeping
  • We aim to embed in scientific context, not operate from the outside
  • We focus on enabling researchers, not replacing them
  • We support where it creates clear, shared value

We do not impose processes or act as an approval layer. Instead, we help you make informed decisions about your software.

Get involved & Contact

HZB-RSE is currently growing and looking to connect with projects and people across HZB.
 
👉 Join the conversation on Mattermost:
[LINK]
 
(We will migrate to Matrix soon — updates will be shared here and in the chat.)