Open source software sits at the heart of modern science. From genomics to climate modeling, the tools researchers rely on every day are often free, reusable, and collaboratively built. In theory, that openness should mean broad participation. In practice, it hasn’t worked out that way.
Despite its democratizing promise, open source software—particularly in scientific and biomedical research—remains overwhelmingly created and maintained by a narrow slice of the population. Most widely used projects are still led by cisgender white men, a reality that quietly shapes whose needs are prioritized, which assumptions go unquestioned, and who feels welcome contributing in the first place.
That imbalance isn’t just a social problem. It’s a scientific one.
Why diversity in open source science actually matters
Scientific software isn’t neutral. Decisions about defaults, documentation, usability, and even which features get built reflect the perspectives of the people in the room. When those rooms lack diversity, blind spots multiply.
Broadening participation in open source helps surface issues that otherwise go unnoticed—bias embedded in documentation, inaccessible workflows, cultural assumptions baked into community norms, or roadmaps that unintentionally exclude entire groups of users. More diverse contributor communities don’t just feel better. They build better tools.
For biomedical research especially, where software increasingly influences who gets diagnosed, how data is interpreted, and which questions are asked, representation matters deeply. Expanding who builds these tools helps ensure they serve everyone—and inspires future scientists and developers to see themselves as contributors, not just consumers.
Embedding equity into scientific progress
At the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), this reality has become impossible to ignore. Across multiple scientific domains the organization funds, a consistent lesson has emerged: pushing the boundaries of scientific progress requires confronting systemic racism and inequity head-on—particularly in biomedicine.
CZI has been working to incorporate equity as a core lens in its grantmaking, embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles directly into strategic priority-setting rather than treating them as optional add-ons. That shift reflects a growing understanding across philanthropy and research institutions: access without equity simply reinforces existing hierarchies.
You can explore CZI’s broader Open Science priorities and commitments through its official Open Science program page (https://chanzuckerberg.com/science/programs-resources/open-science/).
The funding gap holding back inclusive open source
One of the biggest barriers to change is structural. While open source software underpins much of global science, efforts to improve diversity and inclusion within these communities are rarely funded. Maintainers are expected to do community-building work on top of already heavy technical and administrative loads—often without resources, training, or institutional backing.
This is where funding becomes catalytic.
Open source communities don’t broaden participation through good intentions alone. Internships, mentoring programs, accessible documentation, community engineering, and partnerships with DEI-focused organizations all require sustained investment. Without it, the same contributors remain overextended, and the same barriers persist.
Inside CZI’s Essential Open Source Software for Science program
CZI’s Essential Open Source Software for Science (EOSS) program supports some of the most widely used and mature open source tools in biomedicine. These projects form the computational backbone of research labs around the world.
Importantly, many EOSS-funded maintainers have openly acknowledged a shared challenge: their tools may be technically excellent, but their communities do not yet reflect the diversity of the scientific workforce they aim to serve.
To address this gap, CZI launched its first-ever supplemental grant program for current and former EOSS grantees, explicitly focused on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within open source scientific communities.
A $5 million bet on inclusive infrastructure
With guidance from external expert reviewers, CZI selected 14 projects to receive a total of $5 million in supplemental funding. The goal is clear: support participation, retention, and leadership progression for groups underrepresented in scientific open source.
These grants fund a wide range of interventions, including:
- Paid internships and mentored apprenticeships
- Structured mentoring programs
- Community workshops and training
- Improvements to documentation, onboarding, and accessibility
- Partnerships with experienced DEI organizations
Dimensions of underrepresentation addressed span gender, race, ethnicity, geography, and disability—acknowledging that exclusion in open source is multi-layered, not monolithic.
Several projects will partner with organizations already doing proven equity work in tech and science, including Outreachy, Hack.Diversity, and the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, among others.
You can learn more about Outreachy’s long-standing role in diversifying open source contributor pipelines at https://www.outreachy.org.
What the funded projects look like in practice
Rather than abstract commitments, these grants translate into concrete, on-the-ground programs. A few examples illustrate how this funding is being used.
QIIME 2: building pathways for Native American students
QIIME 2 is a widely used platform for microbiome analysis. With supplemental funding, the project will serve as an on-ramp to scientific computing for Native American students by engaging directly with schools that primarily serve Native communities.
The team will partner with Native American groups based out of Northern Arizona University, while simultaneously expanding QIIME 2’s global user, developer, and educator communities. The approach blends local engagement with global impact—an important model for inclusive open source growth.
Common Workflow Language: making reproducibility more accessible
The Common Workflow Language (CWL) is a standard for describing biomedical analysis workflows, enabling reproducible research across platforms. Its grant will support hiring a dedicated community engineer to assist contributors, mentor interns through Outreachy, and improve documentation and code accessibility.
These changes aim to reduce friction for new contributors—especially those without prior exposure to open source norms—making it easier to move from user to leader.
UCSC Xena: mentored internships in cancer genomics
UCSC Xena provides visual exploration tools for functional genomics data, with a strong focus on cancer research. Funding will establish a mentored internship program for UC Santa Cruz students from underrepresented backgrounds.
In partnership with the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute’s Research Mentoring Internship Program, students will apprentice directly with the Xena team, gaining hands-on experience in both science and open source development.
Why these experiments matter beyond the grantees
Interventions focused on DEI in open source infrastructure are still relatively rare. That’s why these grants serve a dual purpose. They don’t just support individual projects—they generate evidence.
CZI will use insights from these initiatives to evaluate what works, what scales, and where challenges persist. Given the global adoption of EOSS-funded tools, successful approaches have the potential to influence open source communities far beyond the initial cohort.
This learning-oriented approach mirrors broader federal and international conversations about equity in science infrastructure, including calls for inclusive research practices and accessible digital tools across publicly funded research ecosystems.
Open source, strengthened for the next generation
These supplemental grants are being announced alongside the fourth funding cycle of the EOSS program, which is awarding 35 grants totaling $11.1 million. Together, these investments aim to make scientific software more scalable, better documented, more maintainable, and more usable for researchers worldwide.
Strong infrastructure enables breakthroughs. Inclusive infrastructure sustains them.
CZI is also explicitly inviting other funders to join this effort—particularly those interested in supporting diversity and inclusion in open source communities. Accelerating science, the organization argues, is a collective responsibility.
Still early days, but a necessary start
Universal, immediate access to research outputs remains a distant goal. Making that access equitable and sustainable is even harder. CZI is clear-eyed about this reality: these efforts are only the beginning.
There is more to learn, more partnerships to build, and more structural barriers to dismantle. But by tying equity directly to funding, infrastructure, and leadership development, this initiative marks a meaningful shift in how open source science can evolve.
For the scientists and developers who will inherit these tools—and the discoveries they enable—that shift could make all the difference.
FAQs
1 What is the EOSS program?
The Essential Open Source Software for Science program funds widely used open source tools that support biomedical research.
2 Why focus on DEI in open source software?
Because homogeneous contributor communities can embed bias and limit usability, reducing the scientific impact of the tools.
3 How much funding was awarded through the supplemental grants?
Fourteen projects received a total of $5 million.
4 Who are some partner organizations involved?
Partners include Outreachy, Hack.Diversity, and the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals.
5 Will these efforts scale beyond the funded projects?
That’s the goal—CZI plans to learn from these interventions and share best practices across the open source ecosystem.
