Python Foundation Defends DEI Values, Rejects U.S. Grant Conditions

The Python Software Foundation has turned down a $1.5 million U.S. government grant, citing restrictive anti-DEI clauses that clashed with its open source values of inclusivity and community trust.

The Python Software Foundation (PSF) has rejected a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), taking a firm stand for open source ethics and inclusivity. The decision followed the NSF’s demand that the Foundation affirm it would “not operate any programs that advance or promote DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion]” for the duration of the award,  a restriction that would have applied to all PSF activities, not just the funded work.

The grant was intended to strengthen Python’s software supply chain security, build a proactive automated review system for PyPI packages, and develop tools transferable to other open source ecosystems. However, the conditions included a clawback clause allowing the NSF to reclaim funds if the PSF was found in violation of the anti-DEI terms, creating what the Foundation described as an “open-ended financial risk.”

“These terms included affirming the statement that we ‘do not, and will not… operate any programs that advance or promote DEI,’” said Loren Crary, Deputy Executive Director of the PSF. “This would create a situation where money we’d already spent could be taken back, which would be an enormous, open-ended financial risk.”

Crary added that, despite the $1.5 million representing the largest grant the Foundation would have ever received, it was “not worth it if the conditions were undermining the PSF’s mission.” The board voted unanimously to withdraw the application, reaffirming its commitment to a diverse, international community of Python developers.

A similar move was made earlier by The Carpentries, another open source nonprofit, underlining a widening conflict between federal funding conditions and open-source inclusivity principles.

Credit: Apurba Sen