中国科学院软件研究所成立于1985年3月1日，是一所致力于计算机科学理论和软件高新技术的研究与发展的综合性基地型研究所。所址位于北京海淀区中关村南四街4号中国科学院软件园内。

软件所有软件基础研究部、软件高技术研究部、软件应用研究部和软件发展研究部等四个研究部、总体部以及协同创新中心，集中了一批学术造诣深厚、享誉国内外的科学家，拥有一支高素质、高水平的青年科技人才队伍。

建所三十多年来，特别是进入中国科学院知识创新试点工程以来，软件所在计算机科学和软件领域取得了丰硕成果，获院、省部级以上成果奖46项（仅统计为第一完成单位），其中包括国家自然科学奖一等奖1项、二等奖2项、三等奖1项；国家科技进步奖二等奖9项、三等奖2项。尤为值得一提的是，计算机领域第1个国家自然科学一等奖出自软件所。（以上数据截止至2021年12月）

Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences, founded on March 1, 1985, is a comprehensive base research institute dedicated to the research and development of computer science theory and software high technology. The site is located in the Software Park of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 4, South 4th Street, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing.

Four research departments, including Software Basic Research Department, Software High Technology Research Department, Software Application Research Department and Software Development Research Department, the general Department and collaborative innovation Center, have gathered a group of scientists with profound academic attainments and renowned at home and abroad, and have a team of high-quality and high-level young scientific and technological talents.

Over the past 30 years since its establishment, especially since its entry into the Knowledge Innovation Pilot Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute has made fruitful achievements in the field of computer science and software. It has won 46 achievement awards at or above the college level, provincial level and ministerial level (only the first unit to complete the statistics), including 1 first prize, 2 second prizes and 1 third prize of the National Natural Science Award. There were 9 second prizes and 2 third prizes of National Science and Technology Progress Awards. It is particularly worth mentioning that the first National natural Science prize in the field of computer came from the Software Institute. (The above data is up to December 2021)