The University of Texas at Austin (UT) has established the Open Source Program Office, a central hub for open source initiatives in research and education, to enhance their societal and economic impact. The project, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, aims to promote open source practices across the institution and is led by experts from various university departments.
According to a press release by UT, the university stated, "Open source code development has changed the face of science." The establishment of the Open Source Program Office is a significant step towards furthering the use of open source software in research and education.
The collaboration is set to consolidate existing infrastructure, promote interdisciplinary connections, and enhance engagement opportunities among faculty and students at UT. A portion of the grant will also facilitate open source research software consultation services and the development of resources for researchers to better implement open source software.
“We’re pleased to have this support from Sloan to bring together the efforts at UT Austin to help preserve research software and to make it more accessible and reproducible to the broader community,” said Jennifer Schopf, director of network partnerships at TACC and the principal investigator of the new grant, according to a press release by UT. “This seed funding will allow us to create the overarching structure to ensure that UT faculty, staff and students have the tools needed to best use open source software and coordinate the interdisciplinary efforts we have.”
The Open Source Program Office will offer comprehensive support on campus, including joint training, personalized consultations, lecture series, help desk services, publication of best practices, and events geared towards involving students, faculty, and staff in open source software endeavors.
“What’s so compelling about this project is how broad and participatory the underlying vision is,” said Joshua M. Greenberg, program director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, according to a press release by UT. “When it comes to support for open source at UT, all the key institutional players are at the table to shape a shared vision.”
The establishment of the Open Source Program Office at UT Austin demonstrates the university's commitment to promoting open source practices and harnessing the power of open source software in research and education. With the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, UT aims to create a unified organization that will facilitate the use of open source software and foster collaboration among faculty, staff, and students. This initiative has the potential to enhance the impact of research and education at UT and contribute to the broader open source community.