Open Digital Infrastructure

Open Digital Infrastructure represents the set of open-source code, standards and knowledge assets that digital building blocks like software libraries, compilers, communication or network protocols are composed of.

They are created by individuals, volunteer communities, in research institutions and SMEs or other corporate environments. Together, they form a foundation of free and public code that is designed to solve common challenges – firstly, in programming, but when applied, also to provide a multitude of core functions for society.

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Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund

Open Calls &
Research Commissions

About

The D//F (Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund) is a multi-funder initiative by Ford Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Omidyar Network, Schmidt Futures and Open Collective sustaining a platform for researchers and practitioners to better understand how open digital Infrastructure is built and deployed.

We’re creating a body of research and implementation insights that advance our goal to ensure a public commons of technology, sustainably developed and maintained, for the benefit of everyone.

Learn more

Press Release

The D//F funders circle is pleased to announce today the selection of 9 projects with a press release. Investigating various aspects of producing, maintaining and deploying open digital infrastructure in their research, the grantees will commence project activities from November 2024, with project durations from 6-12 months.

Press Release

Projects RfP#4

Find the awarded initiatives of the Cohort #4 here:

Browser Funding

Asserting Democratic Control over the Browser/Search Funding System

Code Classification

Sociotechnical Repercussions of FOSS Engineering Processes and Code Classification

DPI Privacy

Privacy Risks of Digital Public Infrastructure in India

FOSS Security & Infrastructure Resilience

Understanding Lessons for OSS Security from Historical Trade Security-Efforts

ISP OSS

Enhancing sustainability for Internet Service Providers connecting those most in need

OSM CoCreation

Impacts of Corporate Editing on Collective Intelligence in OpenStreetMap

OSS Compliance

Navigating Software Liability of Public Digital Infrastructure

OSS Research-Software

Incentivizing Investment in and Adoption of Open Infrastructure for Research through Community Health Assessments

Tripartite Commons Governance

The next tripartite governance systems: governments, markets, and commons

Projects RfP#3

(What Comes) After FOSS?

How do critical technologists imagine the future of their work on digital infrastructure in light of the pyrrhic victory of Free and Open Source Software development?

Beyond Openness, Toward the Common?

The role of open technologies in environmental research

Building Thriving African Open Source Software Communities by Translating Collective Intelligence Methods

How effectively do Interactive Management Research interventions advance thriving in distributed African open source software communities?

Cutting through open washing

To what extent should open source AI systems be exempt from regulation?

Research
results 👀
PDF

Fediverse Governance Successes & Gaps

Analyzing Effective Governance and Infrastructure Gaps in Medium-to-Large Sized Servers for Enhanced Social Networking

Research
results 👀
PDF

Infrastructure in Recession

Economic impacts of tech layoffs on FOSS communities

Research
results 👀
PDF

OSS Transition Calculator

A Calculated Approach to Transitioning from Founder Models to Community-Governed Ecosystems

Strengthening City Governments

Enhancing Security, Governance, and Public Service Delivery through Open Source Promotion and Vulnerability Mitigation.

Understanding the shift away from free and Open Domain Name Servers Resolvers

What factors limit the adoption and use of open digital infrastructure in the domain name system?
Research
results 👀
PDF

Unmaintained dependencies

How to design tools that encourage and support the replacement of unmaintained dependencies without overwhelming maintainers?

Find the detailed press release about the RfP#3 project selection here.
All prior research findings and descriptions of former grantee projects can be found here.

Review Board 2024 RFP

Abby Cabunoc Mayes Github
Cailean Osborne Oxford Internet Institute/Linux Foundation
Duane O’ Brien Capital One/ Jumpsuit Wizard
Fiona Krakenbürger Sovereign Tech Fund
Gurshabad Grover Progressive International/ Article 19
Jack Hardinges Independent Consultant/ Data Empowerment Fund
Jon Starr NUMFocus, ossci
Julia Ferraioli Amazon Web Services
Kaitlin Thaney Invest in Open Infrastructure
Lea Gimpel Digital Public Goods Alliance
Liz Henry Borealis Philanthropy (DIF x Tech Fund)/  Mozilla
Luis Villa tidelift
Matt Germonprez CHAOSS/ U of Omaha
maxigas critical infrastructure lab
Melanie Dulong de Rosnay CNRS-CIS/ NGICommons
Renata Avilá Open Knowledge Foundation
Robin Berjon Protocol Labs
Sofía Celi brave
Stewart Scott Atlantic Council

Review Board 2023 RFP

Abby Cabunoc Mayes Github
Alyssa Wright Bloomberg/ Sustain
Britt Paris Rutgers U
Cailean Osborne Oxford U/ Linux Foundation
Duane O´Brien Independent Consultant
Eirini Malliaraki Deep Science Ventures
Gurshabad Grover Progressive International/
Public Interest Technology Group
Jon Starr NUMFocus, ossci
Julia Ferraioli Open Source Stories
Kaitlin Thaney Invest in Open Infrastructure
Lea Gimpel DPGA
Liz Henry Borealis Philanthropy
Matt Germonprez CHAOSS
Maxigas critical infrastructure lab
Nadia Asparouhova Independent Researcher
Ruth Ikegah CHAOSS Africa/ Bitergia
Sivan Pätsch Open Forum Europe
Sofia Celi brave

Contact

For inquiries or potential collaboration, reach out to Program Director Katharina Meyer:

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