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A grant from NSF

Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) Grant

PESOSE supports translation of open-source science and engineering research products into safe, sustainable ecosystems addressing national or societal challenges. It offers three pathways: scope and plan an ecosystem;…

Official application

Award

Not specified

Deadline

March 2, 2027

136 days

Apply at official source Check your eligibility

No signup · Source checked 10/16/2026

Decision snapshot

Potential award

Not specified

Official deadline

March 2, 2027

136 days

Eligibility evidence

1 confirmed criterion

5 checks available

Application load

Moderate effort

01

Start here

Confirm eligibility

Check your fit in about 60 seconds.

Eligibility requirementsQuestion 1 of 5
About 60 seconds totalInferred criterion

Does your proposed work directly align with Science and Technology and other Research and Development, Science, Research, Education, Health?

What does this mean?

Science and Technology and other Research and Development, Science, Research, Education, Health

Review supporting source ↗
Does your proposed work directly align with Science and Technology and other Research and Development, Science, Research, Education, Health?
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This is an explainable self-assessment, not a win probability or legal determination. Hard eligibility conflicts are never averaged against softer program-fit signals. Always verify the official notice.

Optional Review source criteria and citations

Nonprofit status

Confirm nonprofit eligibility in the full notice.

Review source ↗
unclear

Geography

Nationwide availability is inferred from the catalog record; confirm the official notice.

Review source ↗
inferred

Organization size

No organization-size limit was captured.

Review source ↗
unclear

Program area

Science and Technology and other Research and Development, Science, Research, Education, Health

Review source ↗
inferred

Population served

No specific population was captured.

Review source ↗
unclear

Matching funds

No cost share is indicated.

Review source ↗
confirmed

Registrations

SAM.gov and Grants.gov registration may be required; confirm in the notice.

Review source ↗
inferred

Exclusions

Review the full notice for exclusions and prohibited uses.

Review source ↗
unclear
02

Grant-writer assessment

Understand the opportunity

Start with the practical interpretation. Open the complete source narrative when you need the underlying detail.

Plain-English explanation

Plain-English explanation

PESOSE supports translation of open-source science and engineering research products into safe, sustainable ecosystems addressing national or societal challenges. It offers three pathways: scope and plan an ecosystem; establish or expand a sustainable ecosystem around a robust, promising product meeting an emergent need; or improve an existing ecosystem’s safety, security, and privacy. Eligible U.S.-based applicant types include commercial firms, qualifying nonprofits, governments, IHEs, eligible federal entities/FFRDCs, and federally recognized tribes, subject to detailed PI rules. Formal review criteria, award sizes, and proposal-format requirements are not included in the supplied evidence.

Editorial analysis

What the funder is trying to accomplish

NSF intends to translate open-source science and engineering research products into safe, sustainable ecosystems addressing national or societal challenges. The program highlights managing organizations, governance, distributed development, broad cross-sector user communities, and improvements to safety, security, and privacy.

Editorial analysis

Strong-fit project signals

The project clearly fits one of the three stated activities: scoping and planning an OSE; establishing or expanding a sustainable OSE around a robust, promising product meeting an emergent societal or national need; or improving an existing OSE’s safety, security, and privacy. The project translates an open-source science or engineering research product into a safe and sustainable ecosystem addressing a national or societal challenge. The concept credibly addresses ecosystem-management features identified by the program—such as a managing organization, governance, distributed development, and broad communities across academia, industry, and government. This is an inferred alignment signal, not a stated scoring criterion. The submitting organization falls within an identified eligible category and the proposed PI can meet the corresponding appointment, employment, residency, and location conditions.

Editorial analysis

What reviewers may prioritize

The supplied evidence contains no formal review criteria or reviewer scoring priorities. Inferred program-alignment priorities are a clear match to one proposal pathway; the product and challenge context; an ecosystem-management, governance, distributed-development, and community model; and, where applicable, a clear account of safety, security, privacy, and relevant vulnerabilities. These should not be represented as confirmed NSF scoring criteria.

Source dossier Read the full official program description
Source-backed synopsis

What this grant funds

The Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) program supports the translation of open-source science and engineering-focused research products into safe and sustainable ecosystems that address national and societal challenges. Open-source tools such as software, hardware, machine learning models, languages, and data platforms are designed to be shared as they are publicly-accessible and modifiable. These tools spark innovation in critical fields as varied as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, banking, healthcare, research, education, next-gen manufacturing, mobility, and National security (including cybersecurity).

PESOSE supports the creation of managing organizations for these ecosystems, ensuring strong governance, distributed development, and broad user communities across academia, industry, and government. PESOSE also supports enhancements to the safety, security, and privacy of Open-Source Ecosystems (OSE) by addressing significant vulnerabilities, both technical and socio-technical, to improve the resistance of the ecosystem against threats.

This solicitation seeks three types of proposals, allowing teams to propose specific activities to: 1) scope and plan the establishment of an OSE, 2) establish and expand a sustainable OSE based on a robust, promising open-source product that meets an emergent societal or national need, and 3) improve the safety, security, and privacy of an existing OSE and its products.

Read the complete official description ↗
03

Decision economics

Size the opportunity

Use the source facts below to judge whether the likely return justifies the application effort.

Award range
Not specified
Total program funding
$40,000,000
Expected awards
60
Geography
National
Cost share
Not indicated
Assistance listing
Not specified

Mission alignment

Compare your program with Science and Technology and other Research and Development, Science, Research.

Geographic fit

National

04

Working plan

Build the application

The generated milestones are planning aids. Only the official notice establishes required dates.

Requirements captured

Other requirements
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -For-profit organizations: U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation. -Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. -Other Federal Agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): Prospective proposers from other Federal Agencies and FFRDCs, including NSF sponsored FFRDCs, must follow the guidance in PAPPG Chapter I.E.2 regarding limitations on eligibility. -State and Local Governments -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. -Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131. *Who May Serve as PI: For Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): By the submission deadline, any PI, co-PI, or other Senior/Key Personnel must hold either: a tenured or tenure-track position, or a primary, full-time, paid appointment in a research or teaching position, or a staff leadership role in an Open-Source Program Office or equivalent position at a U.S.-based campus of an Institution of Higher Education (see above), with exceptions granted for family or medical leave, as determined by the submitting institution. Individuals with primary appointments at overseas branch campuses of U.S. institutions of higher education are not eligible. Researchers from foreign academic institutions who contribute essential expertise to the project may participate as Senior/Key Personnel or collaborators but may not receive NSF support. For all other eligible proposing organizations: The PI must be an employee of the proposing organization who is normally resident in the U.S. and must be acting as an employee of the proposing organization while performing PI responsibilities. The PI may perform the PI responsibilities while temporarily out of the U.S. Individuals with primary appointments at non-U.S. based non-profit or non-U.S. based for-profit organizations are not eligible.
Submission system
Grants.gov
Attachments
NSF Publication 26-506
Contact
U.S. National Science Foundation · grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov · 703-292-4203

Official deadline

March 2, 2027

Moderate effort based on requirements currently captured.

  1. Confirm eligibility, registrations, partners, and internal approval.

  2. Finalize project design, outcomes, and supporting evidence.

  3. Draft the narrative and detailed budget.

  4. Complete compliance review and collect attachments.

  5. Submit early and preserve the confirmation receipt.

05Past behaviorCompare historical awardsHistorical patterns provide context, but do not predict or guarantee future funding decisions.
No licensed historical awards are currently linked to this opportunity.
06Audit trailVerify the evidenceSee where the facts came from, when they were checked, and what has materially changed.

Source record

What “source verified” means

The official record was successfully checked. Verification does not mean every eligibility or application field has been extracted. Read the methodology →

Verification
verified
Source
grants gov
Last checked
10/16/2026, 1:18:38 PM
Content updated
9/1/2026, 1:34:52 PM
Review
Automated normalization; not yet expert-reviewed
Open official source ↗

Material changes

  1. Updated deadline, description, important dates, name, requirements.

  2. Updated categories.

  3. Updated categories.

Verify before applying. Official funder documents control. Derived analysis and preparation dates should not replace the notice.
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Quick answersFrequently asked questionsGet concise answers about Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) Grant.
Is Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) Grant currently open?

Yes, based on the latest source record. The deadline is March 2, 2027, with 136 days remaining. Because funders can amend or extend notices, confirm the date and submission instructions on the official application page. The source was last checked 10/16/2026.

How much funding does Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) Grant provide?

Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) Grant lists Not specified per award. The total program funding recorded is $40,000,000. NSF expects to make approximately 60 awards, although the final number may vary.

Who can apply to Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) Grant?

Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification) Applicants should still complete the eligibility quiz and verify every condition in the official notice; a general fit does not override exclusions or registration requirements.

Does Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) Grant require matching funds?

No cost-share requirement is indicated in the captured source facts. Applicants should still verify the official budget instructions in case an amendment, program track, or specific cost category carries additional conditions.

What should I prepare before applying to Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) Grant?

Moderate effort is expected. The captured requirements include other requirements, submission system, attachments, contact. Start by confirming eligibility and registrations, then work backward from March 2, 2027 using the preparation plan above.