This is a good idea. Imagine when future Nobel prizes are given to physicists who write and maintain software just as much to those who publish papers.
This problem doesn't need any nobels to be solved. Just calibrate the rewards so programmer-scientists don't risk career stagnation if they take the time to develop and maintain tools of critical importance for science.
But imagine if physicists were as recognized for software development as much as for experimental work or theorizing. That's a much more important reward.