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OSPO as Lead Principal Investigator §

Pattern Summary §

Leverage OSPO staff’s open source expertise skills to address relevant issues as lead Principal Investigators (PIs) on funding proposals.

Problem / Challenge §

There has been a growth in recognition of the value of open source software amongst funders. Increasingly, funders require software to be released as open source and to make research outputs publicly available.

However, research proposals do not tend to focus on the development of foundational or sustainable infrastructure that serves a wide range of scientific communities.

Pattern Category §

  • Advocacy, Governance & Policy
  • Demonstrating value as an Academic OSPO
  • Funding & Financial Support
  • Open Source Development
  • Open Source Sustainability
  • Promoting Best Practices

Context §

A university or research institution that submits grant proposals to federal, state or private funding sources.

OSPOs have established credibility through successful support of multiple grant proposals.

An OSPO with the resources/capacity for staff to take on PI leadership responsibilities.

Forces §

Growing funder emphasis on open science practices and reproducibility.

The OSPO and/or specific OSPO staff have a track record of successful open source project management.

Solution §

Apply for funding as the lead PI for projects that are crucial to supporting the sustainability and/or reproducibility of research infrastructure and outputs.

Resulting Context §

The OSPO has an opportunity to deliver demonstration projects that showcase the impact of open source best practices.

The OSPO independently secures funding streams that may support its sustainability as an organization.

The institution develops a stronger reputation for open science leadership.

PI responsibilities will need to be balanced against other OSPO responsibilities. OSPOs may risk overcommitment if PI opportunities rapidly multiply.

Known Instances §

References §

Contributors & Acknowledgement §

  • Ciara Flanagan, https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3153-7673

Thanks to all the CURIOSS members who identified this pattern at the 2025 CURIOSS Winter Gathering.