How about David Brin's
Uplift books? Playing through Mass Effect, I assumed the notion of races uplifting other races (like the Salarians uplifting the Krogans) was a nod to Brin.
Julian May's
Galactic Milieu series also has some of the Mass Effect feel to it, especially in later books. And it also dovetails with her
Pliocene Exile series, if you want a bit more fantasy with your sci-fi. It looks like all the Galactic Milieu/Pliocene Exile books are finally available as ebooks.