News on CURIOSS

France's new Open Science Strategy calls for a National Network of Academic OSPOs

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

On 16 September 2026, the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space (MESRE) published its Open Science Strategy for 2026–2033. It was announced at the 4th OECD Blue Sky Forum on Data and Indicators for Science, Technology and Innovation.

Small teams, Big Impact: Hiring Graduate Student Talent for Academic OSPOs

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Small Teams, Big Impact: Hiring Graduate Student Talent for Academic OSPOs

Introduction

Most academic Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) run lean. A single Director (usually with a small handful of staff) is expected to cover community building, project support, outreach, policy and a dozen other responsibilities across an entire university - often on a limited or short-term budget. In a recent conversation, members described graduate students as one of the most valuable resources available to them: a source of specialist skills, dedicated project capacity and outreach energy that a small OSPO could rarely otherwise afford.

CURIOSS at UN Open Source Week 2026

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

CURIOSS at UN Open Source Week 2026

Session overview

Session: Building Open Source Capacity at Scale: University OSPOs as Engines for SDG Impact

Closing the Skills Gap: How Academic OSPOs are leading the way with Open Source Internships

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

Internships offer a highly effective pathway to employment, giving students the professional credibility and hands-on experience that study alone cannot provide. Yet across the tech sector, the supply of internship programs is not meeting demand. Too few structured opportunities exist for the number of students who need them and the opportunities that do exist are often disconnected from the day-to-day work students will actually do once they graduate.

More than an event - How Academic OSPOs build better Hackathons

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

More than an event : How Academic OSPOs build better Hackathons

Introduction

Hackathons have long been a fixture of university life but academic Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) are transforming them into something far more purposeful. Across CURIOSS member institutions, OSPOs are designing and facilitating hackathons that go well beyond a weekend of competitive coding. At their best, these events are strategic tools for skills development, community building and open source sustainability. They also have the potential to foster external partnerships that benefit universities long after the final pitch ends.

The CURIOSS Gathering 2026 - An Overview

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The 2026 CURIOSS Gathering took place in Dublin from February 5th-6th.

Essential Outreach Strategies for Academic OSPOs

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

Academic open source program offices (OSPOs) serve as centers of competency for open source software within their universities.

Integrating Open Source into Research Proposals

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

Across universities, academic OSPOs are increasingly being approached by faculty seeking support with funding applications. Recent conversations amongst CURIOSS members have revealed how these requests present unique opportunities - not just to help secure research funding but to build open source best practices into projects from their earliest stages. These experiences have informed new CURIOSS patterns that capture proven approaches for both assisting with and leading on grant applications. The patterns highlight how this work consistently delivers multiple benefits.

How Academic OSPOs leverage events to deepen Open Source engagement

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

CURIOSS members have collaborated to identify several key patterns that demonstrate how academic OSPOs leverage events and conferences to develop stronger open source communities and open source practices; and to advocate for open source software as an important research artifact within their universities and research institutions.

CURIOSS at UN Open Source Week

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

The CURIOSS community was proud to attend and participate in UN Open Source Week 2025 in New York in June.

10 quick tips for making your software outlive your job

Mon, 26 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A new preprint, 10 quick tips for making your software outlive your job, offers essential guidance for researchers and developers concerned with the longevity of their software projects. The paper addresses a pervasive challenge in academic and research environments: how to ensure valuable software tools remain functional and accessible after their original creators move on to new positions or projects. The guide is particularly timely as shifts in funding and organizational priorities are potentially impacting the continuity of valuable software resources.

Academic Open Source Workshop at CHAOSSCon Europe 2025

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

1. Introduction

CHAOSScon Europe 2025, co-located with FOSDEM, took place in Brussels, Belgium, on January 30, 2025. As part of the conference, CURIOSS sponsored and facilitated a dedicated discussion on academic open source. The workshop brought together researchers, software developers, and open source advocates to discuss the challenges and opportunities of sustaining open source software in academia. With 12 participants in attendance, the discussions were divided into two sessions. The first session focused on understanding different types of research software, their sustainability, and institutional support. The second session expanded on these topics, addressing funding uncertainties, emergency open sourcing, and legal considerations related to intellectual property.

Academic-Industry Collaboration

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

How OSPOs Support Academic-Industry Partnerships

At a recent panel discussion at the Linux Foundation Open Source Summit Europe 2024, titled “Collaboration with Universities and Enterprises: OSPO - What’s Next?”, TODO Group members and CURIOSS members shared insights on bridging the gap between academia and industry through Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs).

Academic OSPO Definition

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Over the last 20 years, Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) have become a relatively common feature in major tech companies and other industries. Many businesses rely upon their OSPOs to manage open source software efforts within their organizations.

Licensing Resources for Academic OSPOs

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The CURIOSS Community Resources spreadsheet lists all the resources referenced by our members in calls and activities. It provides a handy guide to relevant resources created by both CURIOSS members and other individuals and organizations in the academic open source ecosystem.

Funding awarded to support the growth of CURIOSS

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded funding to Clare Dillon and Richard Littauer to develop and expand the work of CURIOSS, the community for university and research institution OSPOs, over the next three years. The award comes after an initial grant from the Sloan Foundation to establish the CURIOSS network in 2023.

New CURIOSS members

Thu, 16 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

CURIOSS is delighted to welcome six new University Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) to the CURIOSS network.

Funding awarded for CURIOSS Network

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded a one-year grant to coordinate a set of community-centered activities focused on university-based and research institution Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs).