RAT Association

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A New Home for RAT.

The development of RAT by the Search Studies research group at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences has been made possible through projects funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). This funding will conclude in 2028. To ensure that RAT can continue to exist and grow beyond the project period, we have established a new organizational home: the non-profit RAT Association.

The RAT association serves two major goals:

Member Led Developmet: Coordinating development activities through the contributions and participation of its members.

Sustainable Funding: Securing RAT’s long-term funding through membership fees and donations after the end of the DFG funding.

Member Led Development

The RAT Association maintains a dedicated development fund to support the software’s core technology and facilitate community-driven development.

Shape the Roadmap: Members can submit development ideas and participate in voting to prioritize functional enhancements.

Professional Execution: Selected proposals are put out to tender as professional development contracts.

Direct Influence: As a member, you play a pivotal role in defining the strategic direction of RAT.

Sustainable Funding

Currently, RAT development is supported by project funding.

To ensure the software remains robust and well-maintained after this funding concludes in 2028, the RAT Association is building a financial foundation through membership fees and donations.

These contributions create the necessary buffer to secure the long-term maintenance of RAT. Thus, your membership directly supports the software’s future sustainability.

How to Become a RAT Member or Donor.

We invite you to support RAT so that it can continue to serve the research community!

Donation

In addition to membership, we welcome donations of any amount to support the continued development of RAT—either as a one-time contribution or on a recurring basis.

Become a Donor