The Center for Open Science (COS) is seeking proposals for open-source development projects that will improve usability, interoperability, and research workflows on the Open Science Framework (OSF)—a free, open-source platform maintained by COS to support researchers throughout the entire research lifecycle, from study design and data collection to publication.

This opportunity is part of the National Science Foundation’s Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE) program, which supports the growth of sustainable, community-driven open-source infrastructure. Through this initiative, COS is investing in developer-led enhancements that respond to real user needs, strengthen open science practices, and ensure the long-term resilience of the OSF platform.

Through this call, COS seeks proposals that:

• Advance community-requested OSF features or integrations
• Improve usability, interoperability, or workflow support
• Strengthen the sustainability of the OSF open-source ecosystem

Selected development teams or individuals will receive funding to implement their proposals in close collaboration with COS and the broader OSF open-source community.

COS has ~$80,000 total to award; how many hours a single award funds depends on the project plan and resourcing. Acceptable costs include personnel time for developing code and engaging the community on user stories, plus equipment and software needed for development.

Read our recent blog post, Building a Better Open Source Ecosystem: Lessons from Growing the OSF Open Source Community, to discover key learnings from our efforts to grow OSF's open source community—including more details about the kinds of integrations that open science communities are requesting.

Who Should Apply?

We welcome applications from:

• Independent open-source developers
• Small development teams with experience building for research or collaboration tools
• Contributors with tools, services, or platforms that could integrate with or enhance OSF

Ideal applicants will have experience with technologies such as Python, JavaScript/TypeScript (Angular.js), Django, and open-source APIs. Projects should aim to support reproducibility, usability, and the sustainability of open infrastructure.