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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Projects RfP#1

Find the awarded initiatives of the Cohort #1 here:

Building International Open Source Communities

What fosters long-term, cross-regional participation in open source projects, especially in underrepresented areas like South Asia?
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Conceptual Mismatches

How do mismatched conceptualizations between maintainers and users of a FOSS digital infrastructure project interact to affect the community health and thus sustainability of such projects?

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Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion in Open Source Digital Infrastructure Projects

What structural barriers limit inclusion in open source infrastructure, and how can ecosystems become more diverse and equitable?
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FOSS Foundations

How do FOSS Foundations (trade associations or non-profits that provide services such as asset management to open source infrastructure projects) contribute to the operations, sustainability, and success of critical digital infrastructure projects?

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Implicit Development Environments

How do embedded norms and toolchains shape participation and behavior in open source development environments?
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Learning from Open Source Communities to Combat Harassment

How have open source communities developed tools and norms to address harassment, and what can others learn from them?
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Mapping the Co-Production of Digital Infrastructure by Peer Projects and Firms

How do peer communities and private firms co-develop open infrastructure, and what tensions or benefits arise?
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Measuring Underproduction in Open Source Software Infrastructure

How can underproduction in open source infrastructure be identified and addressed before it threatens project stability?
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Non-Financial Incentives in Open Source

What kinds of non-monetary incentives support sustained contributions to open source and digital infrastructure?
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Open Digital Infrastructure in Astrophysics

How is open infrastructure used in astrophysics research, and what supports its long-term sustainability?
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OSS as Digital Infrastructure: Legal Technologies and Institutional Design

How can legal and institutional frameworks help prevent the under-maintenance of critical open source infrastructure?

The Visible and Invisible Work of Maintaining Free Open Source Software

What types of visible and hidden labor sustain open source infrastructure, and how can these be made more valued and visible?
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What makes an open source project “critical digital infrastructure?

What defines an open source project as “critical infrastructure,” and how should that status influence support and oversight?
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