Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems

The National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent U.S. federal agency, funds research and education across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As part of its translational research portfolio, the NSF has issued solicitation NSF 24-606 for the Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE) program. This program is designed to support the formation of managing organizations that will coordinate sustainable, open-source ecosystems (OSEs) based on existing open-source products. POSE is not intended to fund the development of new tools or well-established ecosystems, but rather aims to establish new managing bodies that guide the growth and adoption of open-source research products across societal, industrial, academic, and governmental sectors. The POSE program invites two types of proposals: Phase I (scoping and planning) and Phase II (establishment and expansion). Phase I awards will support organizations working with open-source products that may have small communities of users but lack structured development communities. These awards focus on enabling foundational activities, such as ecosystem discovery, governance planning, security and risk assessments, and community engagement. They also provide training to teams, including experiential learning and mentor-guided discovery sessions focused on best practices for building secure and sustainable OSEs. While teams receiving Phase I support are not required to pursue Phase II funding, the early groundwork is meant to prepare teams for that future possibility. Phase II proposals are intended for more mature open-source products with existing contributors and broader usage. These projects must present well-developed strategies for governance, continuous integration and deployment, developer engagement, community support, and long-term sustainability. Proposals must demonstrate a clear societal or national benefit, a defined user base, and plans to involve stakeholders from diverse sectors. Proposals must also show the existence of publicly accessible repositories and open-source licensing for the products around which the OSE will be built. For both phases, the managing organization plays a critical role, serving as the operational and administrative body that enables continuous development and security practices. NSF will award approximately 20 Phase I grants up to $300,000 each for up to one year and 10 Phase II grants up to $1,500,000 each for up to two years, contingent on available funding and proposal quality. The total anticipated funding for this program is $27.8 million. Cost-sharing is prohibited. Proposals involving multiple organizations must be submitted by a single lead institution with sub-awards; separately submitted collaborative proposals are not accepted. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based institutions of higher education (two- and four-year, including community colleges), non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations with scientific research capacity, local and state governments, and tribal nations. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be based in the U.S. and meet specific appointment or employment requirements. Organizations must also meet U.S. ownership and control criteria. Full proposals must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov and follow the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The next deadlines are January 14, 2025, for Phase I proposals and September 2, 2025, for both Phase I and Phase II proposals. These deadlines recur annually. Proposals must include a Project Description with defined sections such as “Context of OSE” and “Risk Analysis/Security Plan,” among other components like letters of collaboration and a personnel list. Submissions missing required elements will be returned without review. Program contacts include Jeff Stanton, Nina Amla, Peter Atherton, and others, with email inquiries directed to pose@nsf.gov. The full solicitation is publicly available and includes all technical, evaluation, and compliance requirements necessary for submission. The NSF encourages participation by organizations and individuals from underrepresented and underserved communities in STEM, including community colleges, HBCUs, TCUs, women’s colleges, and MSIs.

Ensure inclusion of all RWR-marked sections: “Context of OSE”, “Risk Analysis/Security Plan”, and third-party letters. Include I-Corps training budget if Phase I.