CZI Essential Open Source Software for Science Opens New Round

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has launched a new cycle of its programme which supports open source software projects that are essential to biomedical research. In particular, the programme aims to support software tools that are essential to the CZI mission of making it possible to ‘cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of this century’.

Applications for two broad categories of open source software projects will be considered in scope:

Domain-specific software for analyzing, visualizing, and otherwise working with the specific data types that arise in biomedical science (eg genomic sequences, microscopy images, molecular structures).

Foundational tools and infrastructure that enable a wide variety of downstream software across several domains of science and computational research (eg numerical computation, data structures, workflows, reproducibility). To be eligible, foundational tools must have demonstrated impact on some area(s) of biomedical research.

Proposals can request funding for multiple related software projects.

Applications can be submitted by US and non-US non-profit organisations, public and private institutions (eg colleges, universities, research institutes, hospitals, laboratories). Applications are welcome from any country, provided the proposed work is compliant with the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) programme.

Funding of between $50,000 and $250,000 is available for projects lasting for one year.

The deadline for applications is 4 August 2020 (5pm Pacific Time).

It should be noted that representatives from each grantee project will be expected to join grantees from the prior two cycles of the programme for a two to three day convening meeting in early November 2020. This will be a virtual event. Representatives must be available week commencing 2 November 2020. The earliest start date for projects is 1 January 2021.

More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.