Are MaTSEs RSEs?
Do you know about MaTSE?
It's a training course for students who want to become a Mathematical-Technical Software Engineer (MaTSE) and it provides vocational training at Forschungszentrum Jülich and partner companies, while also requiring study at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Jülich Campus, in the field of “Applied mathematics and computer science”. Students on this course learn to understand the mathematical models for problems in computer science, technology, natural sciences and economics and to implement the common solution methods on appropriate systems.
In particular, MaTSE students learn a lot that can be highly relevant for working on research software: they learn to code, to work together in software projects, they hear about classic software engineering techniques, and more. If they end up working on or with research software, they are exceptionally well-trained RSEs.
There are two caveats, though: not all RSEs receive such a training and not all MaTSE work with research software.
The term “research software engineer” can be used to describe a person that combines professional software expertise with an intimate understanding of research, see here for more information. It is not necessarily their job to be an RSE, they can be physists, biologists, mathematicians, computer scientists, anything. If they work with research software, they are doing RSE work. Depending on their background, they may have received proper programming training and know what it takes to write good software, but most of them have not. This, by the way, is one of the key differences between software engineers and research software engineers: people in the first group have a computer science background, people in the second one usually don't. This needs to be considered when talking to and when talking about RSEs.
On the other hand, fully trained MaTSE end up in many different jobs, inside and outside of academia. Some become full professors in the field of math, others work in industry, consulting or administration. Some work with software, others don’t. Some write software, others don’t. So, in a way, MaTSE are well prepared to become RSEs, but their training also prepares them well to do many other roles.
That’s the thing with RSEs, it is not a clearly specified group of people. Designing and conducting RSE courses is tricky because of that. Where to start? Where to end? What’s the right depth? What content should be included?
So, you may ask, can’t we put RSEs into MaTSE courses? Well, here is another difference between MaTSE and RSEs: becoming a MaTSE is a full-time job, with a packed curriculum and demanding tutors, while being an RSE usually is only part of the job, with science, deadlines, and career worries in the way. Besides the technical restrictions of attending a course at FH Aachen, the MaTSE courses are by design intended for students with a clear focus on the Bachelor degree.
So, to summarize: MaTSE can be well-trained RSEs, but RSEs need a different training approach than MaTSE students. This is just a matter of the target audience.
Author: Robert Speck