Programme Thesis
PESOSE funds the translation of open-source research products into secure, sustainable ecosystems that address national and societal challenges, with a focus on governance, community building, and security hardening. It exists to bridge the gap between research outputs and widely used, resilient open-source technologies that strengthen U.S. innovation and national security.
Selection Criteria
- Intellectual merit and broader impacts (NSF standard criteria)
- Clarity and feasibility of the proposed ecosystem plan (governance, sustainability, community engagement)
- Significance of the open-source product and its potential to address a national/societal need
- Strength of the team and management plan, including diversity and inclusion
- Security and privacy enhancements, addressing technical and socio-technical vulnerabilities
- For Track 1 (planning): quality of scoping and planning activities
- For Track 2 (establish/expand): evidence of a robust, promising open-source product and a viable sustainability model
- For Track 3 (security): depth of vulnerability assessment and mitigation plan
- Alignment with PESOSE goals: translation, security, sustainability, and broad adoption
Past Winners / Cohort Profiles
Past PESOSE awards (via NSF award search) include projects that establish or expand open-source ecosystems for scientific software, data platforms, and AI/ML tools, often led by universities or non-profits with strong community ties. Examples include efforts to sustain and secure widely used research software (e.g., scientific Python ecosystems, cybersecurity tools). Winner archetypes: established research groups with a proven open-source user base, clear governance plans, and partnerships across academia, industry, and government.
Ideal Candidate Fingerprint
The ideal applicant is a team (often academic or non-profit) with a mature open-source research product that already has a user community, a clear plan for governance and sustainability, and a compelling case for how the ecosystem addresses a national or societal challenge. They demonstrate technical expertise in both the domain and in open-source security, and they have a realistic path to broad adoption and long-term maintenance.
Recommended Framing
For Eniola, the strongest angle is to leverage TOPOLOGIX as the core open-source product: it is a research tool with clear societal impact (drug-resistance prediction for antimicrobial resistance, a national/global health security challenge), and it already outperforms structure-based baselines while covering 100% of mutations. Frame TOPOLOGIX as an open-source ecosystem in need of governance, community building, and security hardening (e.g., secure model serving, data provenance, vulnerability management) to translate it into a widely used tool for researchers and public health agencies. Emphasize the Africa/Nigeria angle as a unique perspective on global health security and the potential to build a diverse, international user community.
Watch Out
Eligibility: PESOSE is a U.S. NSF program; typically requires U.S.-based lead institution (university or non-profit). Eniola is an independent researcher, not affiliated with a U.S. institution, and currently enrolled in a German M.Sc. program. This is a major eligibility concern. Also, the program focuses on 'science and engineering-focused research products' and 'national and societal challenges' with a U.S. emphasis; Eniola's work is global but may need to be framed to align with U.S. interests. Additionally, the program expects a team and ecosystem management, not a solo researcher; Eniola would need to partner with a U.S. institution or non-profit to apply.
Research History
2026-08-04 20:25 · medium confidence
2026-08-02 05:40 · medium confidence