Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems
This grant provides funding to U.S.-based organizations to develop and sustain open-source ecosystems that enhance existing open-source projects for broader societal impact.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent federal agency established in 1950, funds research and education in science and engineering through grants and cooperative agreements to a wide variety of U.S.-based organizations. The Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE) program, managed by multiple NSF directorates, aims to facilitate the formation of managing organizations that oversee sustainable open-source ecosystems (OSEs) based on existing open-source products. This program draws on NSF’s long-standing commitment to translating scientific research into practical applications through structured programs like I-Corps and America’s Seed Fund. POSE supports the transition of research artifacts—such as software, data platforms, or hardware specifications—from open-source projects into self-sustaining ecosystems that have broad societal or national impact. The program funds activities that promote distributed, community-driven development and emphasizes the role of managing organizations in overseeing governance, community building, and secure development practices. Notably, POSE does not fund the creation of new open-source products or enhancements to existing well-supported communities. POSE includes two types of awards: Phase I for planning and scoping, and Phase II for establishing and expanding an OSE. Phase I awards support exploratory work such as community discovery, governance planning, and evaluation strategies. Phase II awards are intended for teams that already have a robust open-source product with an active community of users and developers and are ready to implement a full development and sustainability strategy. Both phases require proposals to include security plans, community engagement strategies, and evaluation metrics. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based accredited higher education institutions, non-academic nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies with strong research and innovation capabilities, and government entities including tribal nations. All participants must be U.S.-based and controlled, with restrictions on foreign ownership or affiliations. Principal Investigators must have a stable appointment at an eligible U.S.-based institution, and foreign collaborators may only participate without receiving NSF funding. Proposals must be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov and adhere to NSF’s Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide. Required proposal components include a project summary with specific keywords, a detailed project description (up to 7 pages for Phase I, 15 for Phase II), and supplementary documents such as letters of collaboration, personnel lists, and a Data Management and Sharing Plan. Phase I proposals are due by January 14, 2025, and Phase I and II proposals by September 2, 2025. These deadlines recur annually. Applications are evaluated on both NSF’s core merit review criteria—Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts—and additional program-specific criteria. Contact for the POSE program is coordinated through pose@nsf.gov, with listed program officers available for support. Awards will be announced following the standard NSF review process, with conditions, reporting requirements, and post-award procedures aligned with NSF guidelines.
Award Range
$300,000 - $1,500,000
Total Program Funding
$27,800,000
Number of Awards
50
Matching Requirement
No
Additional Details
Approximately 20 Phase I awards at up to $300,000 for 1 year, and 10 Phase II awards at up to $1,500,000 for 2 years. Cost sharing is prohibited. Equipment purchases are not allowed for Phase I but permitted for Phase II.
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
Proposals may only be submitted by the following: - For-profit organizations: U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation. - Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. - State and Local Governments - Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the U.S., acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of U.S. IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a U.S. institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the U.S. campus. - Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131. --- Who May Serve as PI: - For Institutions of Higher Education: By the submission deadline, any PI, co-PI, or other Senior/Key Personnel must hold either: - A tenured or tenure-track position, or - A primary, full-time, paid appointment in a research or teaching position, or - A staff leadership role in an Open-Source Program Office or equivalent position at a U.S.-based campus of an Institution of Higher Education, with exceptions granted for family or medical leave, as determined by the submitting organization. Note: Individuals with primary appointments at overseas branch campuses of U.S. institutions of higher education are not eligible. Researchers from foreign academic institutions who contribute essential expertise to the project may participate as Senior/Key Personnel or collaborators but may not receive NSF support. Individuals with primary appointments at non-U.S. based non-profit or non-U.S. based for-profit organizations are not eligible. - For all other eligible proposing organizations: The PI must be an employee of the proposing organization who is normally resident in the U.S. and must be acting as an employee of the proposing organization while performing PI responsibilities. The PI may perform the PI responsibilities while temporarily out of the U.S.
Geographic Eligibility
All
Include required keywords, mandatory sections (e.g., Context of OSE, Risk Analysis), letters of collaboration, and a detailed Data Management and Sharing Plan
Application Opens
September 14, 2024
Application Closes
Not specified
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