Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems

The Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE) program, administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is designed to support the transition of open-source products—such as software, models, and hardware—into self-sustaining Open-Source Ecosystems (OSEs). By fostering the formation of managing organizations for these ecosystems, the program aims to maximize the societal and technological impact of open-source innovations. Unlike traditional funding programs that support the development of open-source tools themselves, POSE explicitly funds the creation of the organizational and governance structures that enable these tools to flourish within larger, community-driven ecosystems. The overarching objective is to facilitate secure, continuous development of open-source platforms that address critical national and societal needs across all STEM fields. The POSE program is structured into two phases. Phase I supports scoping and planning activities for research products that are already publicly accessible in open-source formats but may lack broad external developer communities. These awards help teams determine if their products are ready to evolve into an OSE. They include ecosystem discovery, governance strategy planning, community engagement strategies, and organizational sustainability exploration. Awardees also receive specialized training (called I-Corps for POSE) covering best practices for OSE formation and community development. Importantly, Phase I funding does not support further technical development of open-source products; instead, it supports non-technical planning necessary to transition to a full-fledged ecosystem. Phase II, on the other hand, funds the establishment and growth of a sustainable and robust OSE. Eligible teams must already have completed substantial ecosystem discovery and planning—either through a Phase I award or through equivalent preparatory work. These projects must demonstrate existing communities of users and external developers contributing to the product. Phase II activities may include implementing governance frameworks, continuous integration infrastructure, security and privacy protocols, and strategies for community onboarding and sustainability. Phase II awards are significantly larger and span a longer duration, recognizing the increased complexity of establishing an enduring OSE. Applicants may be institutions of higher education (both public and private), non-profit research organizations, for-profit U.S. companies, state or local governments, or federally recognized Tribal Nations. Proposals must be submitted by U.S.-based organizations and must demonstrate U.S. ownership and control. While individuals at overseas institutions may contribute expertise, they cannot receive NSF funding. Proposals involving multiple organizations must be submitted by a single lead organization with all others as sub-awardees. There are no restrictions on the number of proposals per organization or individual. Each proposal must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov and comply with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The application deadlines are phase-specific and recur annually. Phase I proposals are due on the second Tuesday in January (January 14, 2025), and both Phase I and II proposals are accepted again on the first Tuesday in September (September 2, 2025). The program supports up to 20 Phase I awards of up to $300,000 for one year and approximately 10 Phase II awards of up to $1,500,000 for up to two years. The total anticipated funding for the FY2024–2025 cycle is approximately $27.8 million. Letters of Intent are not required. All applications must include third-party letters of collaboration from existing contributors or users of the open-source product. The POSE program is administered by several directorates within NSF, including the Directorates for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Engineering, STEM Education, and others. Proposal evaluation is based on both NSF’s core merit review criteria—intellectual merit and broader impacts—and solicitation-specific factors such as potential societal impact, ecosystem readiness, governance strategies, and sustainability planning. Contact for the program is centralized through the program inbox at [email protected], and awards are expected to be processed through NSF's standard review and notification timelines. The program is structured to recur annually, providing ongoing opportunities for new OSE formation and expansion.

Emphasize robust ecosystem discovery, governance, and sustainability; follow all NSF formatting and compliance rules; address the "Context of OSE" and "Risk Analysis/Security Plan" sections clearly.