UC San Diego Open Source Program Office (OSPO)

What is an OSPO?

An Open Source Program Office (OSPO) is a dedicated team within an organization that oversees and manages the use, contribution, and development of open source software. The OSPO ensures compliance with open source licenses, fosters community engagement, and promotes best practices for utilizing open source technology. By facilitating collaboration and innovation, the OSPO helps organizations leverage the full potential of open source to drive their business objectives.

What is the UC San Diego OSPO?

The UC San Diego OSPO is a new service. Funded as part of a recent grant by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to support the development of a UC-wide network of Open Source Program Offices, this award leverages the work of the Open Source Program Office at UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) and funds a collaboration of UC campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Diego with UCSC to promote open source research, teaching, and public service.

The UC San Diego team is led by David Minor, Director of the Library’s Research Data Curation Program, and Erik Mitchell, The Audrey Geisel University Librarian. Initial collaborators include campus partners in IT Services, the Office of Research and Innovation, and the San Diego Supercomputer Center. As part of the award, the team will also hire a position to help build partnerships across UC San Diego focused on open-source landscape analysis and training.