https://pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-funding-statement.html
"In January 2025, the PSF submitted a proposal to the US government National
Science Foundation under the Safety, Security, and Privacy of Open Source
Ecosystems program to address structural vulnerabilities in Python and PyPI. It
was the PSF’s first time applying for government funding, and navigating the
intensive process was a steep learning curve for our small team to climb. Seth
Larson, PSF Security Developer in Residence, serving as Principal Investigator
(PI) with Loren Crary, PSF Deputy Executive Director, as co-PI, led the
multi-round proposal writing process as well as the months-long vetting
process. We invested our time and effort because we felt the PSF’s work is a
strong fit for the program and that the benefit to the community if our
proposal were accepted was considerable.
We were honored when, after many months of work, our proposal was recommended
for funding, particularly as only 36% of new NSF grant applicants are
successful on their first attempt. We became concerned, however, when we were
presented with the terms and conditions we would be required to agree to if we
accepted the grant. These terms included affirming the statement that we “do
not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate
any programs that advance or promote DEI, or discriminatory equity ideology in
violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws.” This restriction would apply
not only to the security work directly funded by the grant, but to any and all
activity of the PSF as a whole. Further, violation of this term gave the NSF
the right to “claw back” previously approved and transferred funds. This would
create a situation where money we’d already spent could be taken back, which
would be an enormous, open-ended financial risk.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core to the PSF’s values, as committed to
in our mission statement:
The mission of the Python Software Foundation is to promote, protect, and
advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the
growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers.
Given the value of the grant to the community and the PSF, we did our utmost to
get clarity on the terms and to find a way to move forward in concert with our
values. We consulted our NSF contacts and reviewed decisions made by other
organizations in similar circumstances, particularly The Carpentries.
In the end, however, the PSF simply can’t agree to a statement that we won’t
operate any programs that “advance or promote” diversity, equity, and
inclusion, as it would be a betrayal of our mission and our community."
Via Esther Schindler.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
