review the PR and add changes according to the last meeting

Author: berndflemisch

paper.tex

@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ \section{Realization Strategy}%
 
 We propose building blocks for individual realization strategies for central institutional RSE units.
 We start by listing different possibilities for funding RSE positions at a research institution.
-Following that, we describe a potential transition pathway, starting from existing structures that have grown in research alliances such as Collaborative Research Centers or also in research departments of an institution.
+Following that, we describe a potential transition pathway, starting from existing structures that have grown in research alliances such as DFG-funded Collaborative Research Centres or also in research departments of an institution.
 This is complemented by discussing the opportunity of outsourcing RSE services and the challenging task of identifying and hiring suitable RSE candidates.
 
 \subsection{Funding Possibilities}%
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ \subsection{Funding Possibilities}%
 At research institutions, it is important to resolve the conflict between time-limited research funding and the need for permanent positions in order to be competitive with industry.
 Experience is also an essential component of software engineering, which makes long-term employment indispensable.
 In principle, pooling of positions and funds makes it possible to finance permanent positions from changing and mixed sources.
-An institution’s leadership has to justify to take the corresponding risk of failing to raise external funds may be a very challenging task.
+An institution’s leadership has to justify taking the corresponding risk of failing to raise external funds.
 \begin{enumerate}
 \item It seems natural to allocate ordinary budget positions for RSEs.
       However, particularly at German universities, it is usually impossible to create completely new budget positions and the only feasible way is to rededicate an existing position after its corresponding holder has left.
@@ -558,15 +558,15 @@ \subsection{Transition Pathway}
 
 \subsubsection{Initial Measures}
 The following measures initialize the two modules presented in \autoref{sec:network} and \autoref{sec:teaching}.
-While dedicated funding certainly is beneficial already for step, it is not necessary.
+While dedicated funding certainly is beneficial already for this step, it is not strictly necessary.
 Once the two measures are in place, they can be used to illustrate the need for institutional RSE activities and therefore support funding proposals.
 
 \paragraph{Network of RSEs}
 Forming a network of RSEs localized at an institution can be initiated by any existing RSE individual or group that is preferably already in contact with other RSEs at the institution.
 An institutional dedicated mailing list, chat group and possibly other communication platforms can be created and a request for participation can be circulated via institutional channels such as an employee newsletter.
 First common events such as social gatherings or RSE-related seminar talks can be organized and announced via the communication platform.
 This process can be accompanied, facilitated and strengthened by founding a local de-RSE chapter.
-Such network-building has been successfully initiated and implemented at several German research institutions, for example at the German Aerospace Center and the Forchungszentrum Jülich.
+Such network-building has been successfully initiated and implemented at several German research institutions such as the German Aerospace Center and the Forchungszentrum Jülich.
 
 \paragraph{Pooling of existing teaching materials and training offers}
 Depending on local RSE efforts, teaching materials and associated training formats are likely to already exist,
@@ -628,9 +628,9 @@ \subsection{Outsourcing}
 Another possibility for the realization of local RSE Service providers is by forming a spin-off and pooling the RSE Skills into an external company, which has benefits but also drawbacks. [\#SuccessStory Outsourcing]
 Among the most obvious benefits is that this enables the creation of contracts outside of the WissZeitVG.\@
 This also widens the customer base of the RSE unit since the newly founded company may obtain contracts from industry.
-If this company is backed/branded by the institution this enables another possibility for an institution to interact with the local society.
+If this company is backed/branded by the institution, this enables another possibility for an institution to interact with the local society.
 But there are drawbacks.
-Since the company is now an entity external to the institution the Vergabe-Richtlinien have to be fulfilled, which could \eg{} mean to publicly invite tenders in order to have a competitive procedure.
+Since the company is now an entity external to the institution, the Vergabe-Richtlinien have to be fulfilled, which could \eg{} mean to publicly invite tenders in order to have a competitive procedure.
 This also points to the fact that an external company has to be a mostly profitable entity (partly this can be softened by founding a non-for-profit entity).
 Moreover, during the outsourcing contract, there has to be a coordinator at both sides and the flow of information from the academic institution to the contracted company has to be established.
 These are some examples of additional administrative overhead due to the interaction with external partners.
@@ -644,20 +644,20 @@ \subsection{Staff Acquisition/People}
 RSE units need to be staffed, but where do potential employees come from?
 Educational structures that generate a pool of people from which central RSE units can be populated from need to be set up.
 In addition, being an RSE should be a career worth aspiring to, just as any other profession, with a long term perspective.
-This is a topic that covered by a separate paper \autocite{goth_foundational_competencies_2024}, but we provide a brief summery here:
+This is a topic covered by a separate paper \autocite{goth_foundational_competencies_2024}, but we provide a brief summary here:
 
 These RSEs will bring a diverse set of skills centered around the topics of research,
 digital tools, and team-based work and hence can easily offer the consulting services mentioned in the previous section and guide people to their implementation in their workgroups.
 To fill gaps, the RSE unit can also maintain a roster of freelance workers.
 In order to retain RSEs it should be possible for them to become experts in a field and hence this should make this job more attractive to young RSEs,
 in order to mitigate the problem that some will only see this job as a one-year stint after their PhD and then move on to something else.
-To facilitate the retention of skilled people, industry has long identified education as an effective tool.\todo{PMS: We discussed this, but I do not know how to resolve it.}
-For RSEs this should be helped by to be formed academic facilities that enable them to keep on learning skills after their first professional qualification, supported by the respective certification programs.
+To facilitate the retention of skilled people, industry has long identified education as an effective tool.
+For RSEs, this should be helped by to be formed academic facilities that enable them to keep on learning skills after their first professional qualification, supported by the respective certification programs.
 In the longer run, Research Software Engineering should be integrated into the existing study programmes.
-One option here would be the creation of an RSE master as a specialization for a computer science bachelor.
-This should be complemented by adding a minor in application-domain study programs such as biology, music, engineering etc.\ to facilitate the communication between the corresponding two groups of RSEs.
+One option here would be the creation of an RSE master as a specialization for computer science and also application-domain bachelor programmes.
+This should be complemented by adding a minor in these application-domain study programs such as biology, music, engineering etc.\ to facilitate the communication between the corresponding two groups of RSEs.
 There are already some master's programs available, (\eg{} in Berlin, Munich and Stuttgart) that develop this specialization on top of a domain bachelor.
-And of course there are data science curricula in the process of being created.
+Moreover, there are data science curricula in the process of being created.
 A curated and continuously updated list of these programs is available at~\cite{learnandteachlearn}.
 
 % on the topic of acquiring and retaining staff, there's \autocite{VanTuyl2023} from US-RSE discussing career pathways, and \autocite{wright_ambivalent_internal_consultant_2009} about internal consultants and their struggle coming to terms with their work identity (in the management field)