International Research Software Conference 2026
When: September 7–8, 2026
Where: Sheffield, UK & online
On September 7–8, 2026, the International Research Software Conference (IRSC) will take place in Sheffield, UK. The first international conference of its kind, IRSC brings together key stakeholders from across the research software community to support its long-term sustainability, international coordination, and further development. The conference is organised by the Research Software Alliance (ReSA) and can be attended either in person or online. The event is co-located with the 10th anniversary edition of the Research Software Engineering Conference (RSECon26), which will take place from September 9–11, 2026.
Research software is now an essential part of modern research, yet its development, maintenance, and long-term funding continue to face a range of challenges. IRSC therefore responds to the need for international coordination, long-term sustainability, and collaboration across institutions, disciplines, and countries. An important focus will also be the transformation of the research environment in the context of the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence.
Programme
The conference will explore issues shaping the future of research software at the international level. Topics will include sustainable funding and infrastructure, the position and professional development of the research software workforce, responsible use of AI, assessing the impact of research software, and interoperability based on open standards.
The programme will also address topics connecting research software with the broader open science landscape, including FAIR principles, open source, software citation, and research assessment reform. It will feature keynote presentations, plenary discussions, short lightning talks, and Birds of a Feather sessions focused on sharing experiences and discussing common challenges. More than 50 organizations have contributed to the programme.
The IRSC aims to foster three interconnected pillars: global cohesion through collaboration across countries, sectors and disciplines; community connection through sharing experiences and best practices; and strategic impact, by influencing funding, policy and research priorities.
Registration
The conference is primarily aimed at leaders and decision-makers who influence the environment in which research software is developed and supported. These include representatives of national and international associations of Research Software Engineers (RSEs), research infrastructure providers, universities and research organizations, funders, research policymakers, publishers, and communities working in open science and open source.
Registration for in-person attendance costs GBP 350 and closes on August 21, 2026. Remote attendance costs GBP 100 and is available for registration until September 4, 2026 here.
More information about the conference is available here.
About the organizer
The conference is organized by the Research Software Alliance (ReSA), an international initiative focused on supporting research software and the people who develop and maintain it. ReSA is financially hosted by Code for Science & Society. It brings together organizations and programs working in research software and seeks to coordinate their activities at the international level. Its work addresses, among other things, the productivity, quality, reproducibility, and long-term sustainability of research software.
Last updated on August 20, 2026
