The Scale of the Crisis
Research software faces a fundamental sustainability problem. Essential tools across every domain operate without guaranteed funding, and the loss of just one or two key maintainers could collapse entire research ecosystems.
Dependency Crisis
Essential tools from EEGLAB in neuroscience to Jupyter in data science operate without guaranteed funding.
Critical Fragility
The loss of 1-2 key maintainers could collapse research ecosystems that millions depend on.
Maintainer Burnout
Volunteer maintainers burn out from essential work that receives no institutional recognition.
Why Traditional Funding Fails
Innovation Bias
Funding agencies reward new projects, not maintenance. Keeping software running is just as critical as building it.
Grant Cycle Mismatch
Research grants last 2-5 years. Software maintenance is ongoing. When grants end, maintenance stops and software breaks.
Career Disincentives
Universities reward publications, not software upkeep. Research software engineers have no clear career path for maintenance work.
Our Solution
A small percentage of grant funding can solve the research software sustainability crisis.
Collect
~0.1% from research grants
Track
Measure software usage and impact
Fund
Direct resources to maintenance
The Math
- Typical grant: $500,000
- Our contribution: $500 (0.1%)
- Impact: Sustainable funding for critical research tools
The U.S. research budget is approximately $180B. Appropriating 0.1% ($180M) would fund maintenance of software researchers use across all disciplines. Even considering only non-defense research (~$100B), this would fund most open-science tools, equivalent to hiring ~400 full-time software engineers.
Four Key Principles
Maintenance First
Fund the essential work of keeping software running, secure, and compatible.
Usage-Based
Resources go to tools researchers actually use, measured through downloads, citations, and grant mentions.
Shared Services
Pool resources for documentation, security, testing, and community management.
Innovation Support
Competitive grants drive new tool development while maintenance gets guaranteed funding.
Organizational Structure
The OSC operates as an independent, non-governmental organization modeled after established international bodies like ISO or IEC, but specifically designed for research software sustainability.
Institutional Members
Universities and research institutions with OSPOs become voting members, contributing funding and participating in strategic decisions.
Technical Committees
Domain experts from member institutions form committees to evaluate projects, set standards, and ensure quality across disciplines.
Auditing Bodies
Independent oversight committees provide transparency and accountability through regular audits and performance reviews.
Rapid Response
Streamlined processes enable quick funding decisions and support delivery without bureaucratic delays.
Internal Structure
External Stakeholders
Implementation Roadmap
Phase 1: Pilot Programs
- Partner with 3-5 universities with established OSPOs
- Test with ~50 research grants
- Refine metrics and processes
Phase 2: Expansion
- Expand to 20+ institutions
- Integrate with major funding agencies
- Develop international partnerships
Phase 3: Scale
- National and international adoption
- Self-sustaining ecosystem
- Standard practice for research grants
Ready to Transform Research Software?
0.1% of grant funding = sustainable research infrastructure