Sustainability and EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) in the R Project

许多大型科学软件项目的维护和开发在很大程度上依赖研究社区。在数据分析计算和图形的自由软件环境R的案例中，核心开发人员主要是担任传统学术角色的人，如统计学教授。因此，他们的重点一直放在与其研究领域相关的发展方面，其他必要的职能作为服务，可能被他们的机构认识到，也可能不被他们认识到。这种模式导致了R项目的可持续性危机，因为在建立开放的、可持续的发展实践或指导新的贡献者方面投资不足。目前的许多核心开发人员都已经退休或即将退休，这使得R项目处于危险的境地。由于R在研究软件的开发中被广泛使用，这是研究界迫切需要解决的问题。目前的核心开发模式也导致了多样性问题。要做出实质性的贡献，就需要有特权的学术地位，有安全和灵活的时间来做这项工作，这项工作在高收入国家有利于白人男性。虽然核心开发人员已经承认了这个问题，但由于缺乏时间，加上对代表不足的群体所面临的障碍的有限视角，意味着几乎没有采取行动。通过这个奖学金，我的目标是建立研究软件工程师(RSE)，作为创建更可持续和更具包容性的大型研究软件项目的解决方案的一部分。我将通过在R项目的上下文中对这一角色进行建模来演示RSE如何成为关键的贡献者。一个方面将有助于维护和开发R项目中的基本代码，要么是核心R代码库，要么是孤立的(或将成为)的重要附加包。作为一名女性，我自己做出这些贡献将展示RSE职位的潜力，以支持来自代表性不足群体的贡献者。它还将展示RSE承担传统学术角色可能不太受欢迎的工作的潜力(因为它不代表新颖的研究)。然而，我打算超越这一点，并展示RSE如何为促进可持续性和包容性做出贡献。这方面将构成我工作的一个很大组成部分，并涉及帮助使核心开发过程更加透明、指导短期项目和提供培训等活动。

Many large scientific software projects depend heavily on the research community for their maintenance and development. In the case of R, the free software environment for data-analytic computing and graphics, the core developers have mainly been people in traditional academic roles, such as statistics professors. As such, their focus has been on aspects of development related to their areas of research, with other necessary functions being done as service, that may or may not be recognised by their institutions.This paradigm has led to a crisis of sustainability for the R project, since there has been insufficient investment in establishing open, sustainable development practices or mentoring new contributors. Many of the current core developers are past or nearing retirement, leaving the R project in a precarious situation. Since R is widely used in the development of research software, this is an issue that the research community must urgently address.The current model of core development has also led to a diversity problem. Contributing in a substantial way has required a privileged academic position, with the security and flexibility to make time for this work, which has favoured white men in high-income countries. Although the core developers have acknowledged this issue, a lack of time, along with a limited perspective of the barriers faced by under-represented groups, has meant that little action has been taken.Through this fellowship, I aim to establish Research Software Engineers (RSEs) as part of the solution to creating more sustainable and inclusive large-scale research software projects. I will demonstrate how RSEs can be critical contributors, by modelling this role in the context of the R project. One aspect will be contributing to the maintenance and development of fundamental code in the R project, either the core R codebase, or important add-on packages that are (or will be) orphaned. Making these contributions as a woman myself will demonstrate the potential for RSE positions to support contributors from under-represented groups. It will also show the potential for RSEs to take on work that may be less desirable to people in traditional academic roles (since it does not represent novel research). However, I intend to go beyond this and also demonstrate how RSEs can contribute to promoting sustainability and inclusion. This aspect will form a large component of my work and involve activities such as helping to make the core development process more transparent, mentoring short-term projects, and providing training.