The Software Sustainability Institute’s annual Collaborations Workshop (CW) is an immersive, three-day unconference, which emphasises active collaborations, dynamic discussions, and hands-on problem-solving. The highly anticipated Collaborations Workshop 2026 (CW26) will take place as a hybrid event from Tuesday 28 April to Thursday 30 April at ICC Belfast. The event is set to feature an impressive lineup of speakers and an interactive programme of sessions. The theme is Strengthening The Research Software Community.

The programme includes a one-hour mini-workshop titled How should the DIRECT Framework adapt to serve diverse dRTP communities?

• The DIRECT Framework is a tool for individuals and teams of digital research technical professionals to support career progression. The framework is a collection of nearly 200 skills organised by competency and competency domain, including technical and non-technical capabilities. The web app makes it easy to mark against role profiles and build a visualisation wheel of skills. (Video clip)

• The CW26 mini workshop is a chance for communities such as green compute, mental health and data stewards to co-define DIRECT’s contribution model and requirements so DIRECT becomes more representative and applicable.  Wednesday 29 April at 15:00 BST, hybrid format.

• Version 2.0 of the framework will be launched that week, adding a community-contributed set of tools, methodologies and learning resources to support the acquisitions of the skills. DIRECT is supported by UKRI Network+ and is quickly gaining interest across the UK and beyond.

The CW26 final phase tickets are available for in-person attendance until 8 April. Remote tickets are available until 24 April.