# research-engineer

Turns Claude Code into a strict research engineer focused on scientific rigor and complete runnable code without placeholders.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code · 333 installs
- Author: davila7
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates/tree/HEAD/cli-tool/components/skills/ai-research/research-engineer
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/research-engineer

## What it does

This skill enforces uncompromising academic standards in Claude Code. It eliminates conversational fluff and starts directly with technical criticism. If an approach breaks theoretical constraints, such as attempting to parse nested structures using regular expressions, the agent rejects the premise before writing any logic.

Code output avoids shortcuts. The skill prohibits comments like `// insert logic here`. If a thread-safe solution requires hundreds of lines of boilerplate, the agent writes every line. Algorithms include formal assertions or property-based tests using frameworks like Hypothesis. When hitting token caps, the model halts with an explicit marker to continue cleanly in the next turn.

Tool selection depends strictly on computational requirements. Rather than defaulting to general-purpose languages, it directs numerical work toward Julia or Fortran and memory-critical infrastructure toward Rust or Ada.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **claude-code-templates**
```bash
npx claude-code-templates@latest --skill ai-research/research-engineer
```

2. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill research-engineer -a claude-code
```

3. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/research-engineer/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/research-engineer/

### Codex

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/research-engineer/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/research-engineer/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install davila7/claude-code-templates research-engineer
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/research-engineer/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --path cli-tool/components/skills/ai-research/research-engineer
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/research-engineer/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates/tree/HEAD/cli-tool/components/skills/ai-research/research-engineer

## When to use it
- evaluate algorithmic time and space complexity against theoretical limits
- generate full compilable implementations without omitted logic
- select appropriate programming languages for high-performance computing or formal proofs
- identify theoretical flaws in system design before implementation

## Example prompts
- Analyze the asymptotic complexity of this recurrence relation and prove the lower bound.
- Implement a lock-free queue in C++20 using explicit memory ordering semantics.
- Critique this distributed consensus architecture and outline failure modes.

## Similar
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- [nature-citation](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/nature-citation.md) — skill · 15600 installs

From the same set: [davila7/claude-code-templates](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/davila7/claude-code-templates.md) — 804 cards

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md