OpenScience Collecitve: Sustainable Funding for Academic Open Science

OpenScience Collecitve (OSC) aims to create a sustainable funding model for academic open source software through small percentage-based contributions from research grants.

Note

The current proposal is being worked on this project summary at Google Docs. Please consider adding your comments, edits, and experiences.

Vision

Our vision is to establish a non-governmental organization that:

• Collects a small percentage (starting at ~0.1%) of direct costs from research grants
• Distributes funding to open source projects based on usage metrics
• Provides shared resources for engineering, documentation, security, and community management
• Ensures sustainable maintenance funding for established software
• Supports innovation through competitive grant proposals

Repository Structure

os-collective/
├── LICENSE                # BSD-3 License
├── README.md              # Project overview (this file)
├── CONTRIBUTING.md        # Contribution guidelines
├── docs/                  # Documentation
│   ├── concept/           # Concept papers and proposals
│   ├── governance/        # Governance structure
│   └── metrics/           # Usage metrics and impact assessment
├── models/                # Funding models and simulations
├── presentations/         # Presentation materials
└── examples/              # Example implementation scenarios

Development Plan

1. Phase 1: Concept Development (Current)

   • Create detailed one-page concept document
   • Develop governance structure proposal
   • Define metrics for measuring software usage and impact

2. Phase 2: Stakeholder Engagement

   • Engage with university OSPOs (Open Source Program Offices)
   • Consult with existing funding organizations
   • Gather feedback from open source maintainers

3. Phase 3: Model Refinement

   • Create economic models and simulations
   • Refine funding distribution mechanisms
   • Develop transition plans for integrating with grant systems

4. Phase 4: Pilot Implementation

   • Identify partner institutions for initial implementation
   • Establish pilot program with limited scope
   • Measure outcomes and refine approach

Getting Involved

We welcome contributions from individuals with experience in:

• Academic research funding
• Open source software maintenance
• Nonprofit governance
• Scientific software development
• Grant administration

See CONTRIBUTING.md for details on how to contribute.