Call for Grant Proposals

[Martin v. Löwis]

The Python Software Foundation is seeking grant proposals for projects
related to the further development of Python, Python-related technology,
and educational resources. The PSF plans to issue calls for proposals
regularly.

Proposals should be for specific projects with a clear objective, rather
than support for ongoing activities. Proposals should be brief (a few
pages of text), and they should explain:

a. what the objective of the project is,
b. what precisely the funds are needed for,
c. a delivery plan, indicating what deliverables will be provided at
what time, and
d. a payment plan, indicating what payments should be made at what
time.

Awarded grants can range up to $40,000.

Proposals for this call must be submitted before October 1, 2004.
Projects will start on November 1, 2004, and must be completed by
October 30, 2005. Proposals should be sent to ps********@pyth on.org.

Kind regards,
Martin v. Löwis

[Istvan Albert]

Martin v. Löwis wrote:

The Python Software Foundation is seeking grant proposals for projects
related to the further development of Python, Python-related technology,
and educational resources. The PSF plans to issue calls for proposals
regularly.

This is such an awesome idea and even more amazing is that you guys
have the funds to do it.

A biased opinion here, coming from java I think funding Jython (hopefully
they apply) would promote python better than just about any other project.
I wish companies like IBM would (or maybe already do) invest some resources
into Jython after all they seem to have bet a lot on Java.

Python + Jython could blow out of water just about any other development
environment.

cheers,

Istvan.

[Peter Hansen]

Istvan Albert wrote:

Martin v. Löwis wrote:

The Python Software Foundation is seeking grant proposals for projects
related to the further development of Python, Python-related
technology, and educational resources. The PSF plans to issue calls
for proposals regularly.

This is such an awesome idea and even more amazing is that you guys
have the funds to do it.

See http://www.python.org/psf/donations.html for just why this is so...
and consider getting your own name on the list.

It really shouldn't be considered "amazing" that people donate, I
think... it just makes sense.

-Peter

[Istvan Albert]

Peter Hansen wrote:

See http://www.python.org/psf/donations.html for just why this is so...
and consider getting your own name on the list.

will do.

i.

[Harry George]

Istvan Albert <ia*****@mailbl ocks.com> writes:

Martin v. Löwis wrote:

The Python Software Foundation is seeking grant proposals for
projects related to the further development of Python,
Python-related technology, and educational resources. The PSF plans
to issue calls for proposals regularly.

This is such an awesome idea and even more amazing is that you guys
have the funds to do it.

A biased opinion here, coming from java I think funding Jython (hopefully
they apply) would promote python better than just about any other project.
I wish companies like IBM would (or maybe already do) invest some resources
into Jython after all they seem to have bet a lot on Java.

Python + Jython could blow out of water just about any other development
environment.

cheers,

Istvan.

Not coming from java, but living in a Java-mandated world, I concur on
Jython being valuable. But we also need a solid Java-cPython
interface. JPE was the original effort. JPype is more recent.

http://jpe.sourceforge.net/
http://jpype.sourceforge.net/

--
ha************@ boeing.com
6-6M21 BCA CompArch Design Engineering
Phone: [phone]

[Maurice LING]

Hi,

I have a few questions to ask about this grant and I've emailed this to
ps*******@pytho n.org but had no replies yet. Maybe someone authoritative
from PSF can help me out in this or anyone can put in some comments.

I am currently a postgraduate student in the University of Melbourne,
Australia, and would like to put forward a proposal for the PSF Grant
this year. However before I can do so, I have some queries regarding the
nature of this grant and its impact on my research work, which will be
precipitating to a degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

1. Is there a requirement to release the deliverables, including,
software, source codes, specifications and documentation, to the general
public using any of the Open Source Initiative (OSI) approved open
source licences?

2. Will there be any form of intellectual property claims, including,
copyrights, trade marks, patents, on any form of work generated from the
PSF Grant by the Python Software Foundation (PSF) or any of its
associates? If so, what are the precise nature of it? This is important
as it may injure the research work and subsequently, the resultant
thesis and publications directing towards the award of my degree.

3. On the website (http://www.python.org/psf/call-2004.html), it is
stated that the project of which the grant is granted for must be
completed by October 30, 2005. In event of failure to meet, what will be
the penalities?

4. From Question 3, what constitutes partial failure or complete failure
of the project?

5. From Question 4, it is stated on the website
(http://www.python.org/psf/call-2004.html) that a delivery plan is
essential in the proposal. How will delay in delivery affect the payment
plan and the grant on the whole?

6. Can the PSF Grant be used to generate proprietary work and yet,
furthering the development of Python, Python-related technology, and
educational resources? An example of such is the development of a
proprietary Integrated Development Environment (IDE).

Awaiting for you replies.

Warmest regards,
Maurice Ling

[Anthony Baxter]

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 22:53:38 GMT, Maurice LING <ma*********@ac m.org> wrote:

I have a few questions to ask about this grant and I've emailed this to
ps*******@pytho n.org but had no replies yet. Maybe someone authoritative
from PSF can help me out in this or anyone can put in some comments. 1. Is there a requirement to release the deliverables, including,
software, source codes, specifications and documentation, to the general
public using any of the Open Source Initiative (OSI) approved open
source licences?

I'm not on the grants committee, but I'd _expect_ that this would be the
case, yes. Will this be a problem?

Anthony

[Maurice Ling]

Anthony Baxter wrote:

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 22:53:38 GMT, Maurice LING <ma*********@ac m.org> wrote:

I have a few questions to ask about this grant and I've emailed this to
ps*******@pyt hon.org but had no replies yet. Maybe someone authoritative
from PSF can help me out in this or anyone can put in some comments.

1. Is there a requirement to release the deliverables, including,
software, source codes, specifications and documentation, to the general
public using any of the Open Source Initiative (OSI) approved open
source licences?

I'm not on the grants committee, but I'd _expect_ that this would be the
case, yes. Will this be a problem?

Anthony

This might be a problem if I am trying to apply this grant for a closed
source project but still advancing python and its related technology, as
I've stated in the same email (question 6, if I'm not wrong). I've given
the example of applying this grant for the development of a Python IDE
or sort but as a closed source project. It seems that the grants
committee has no clear wordings, which will make dealings with companies
extremely difficult. I'm unable to convince my lawyers and management
without concise wordings by PSF.

It seems to me as that this grant is only applicable for hobbyist.

Cheers
Maurice

--
Maurice Han Tong LING, BSc(Hons)(Bioch em), AdvDipComp, SN
Doctor of Philosophy (Science) Candidate, The University of Melbourne
mobile: [phone]
[phone]
mailing address: Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne
Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
residential address: 9/41 Dover Street
Flemington, Victoria 3031, Australia
email: ma*********@acm .org
resume: http://maurice.vodien.com/maurice_resume.pdf
www: http://www.geocities.com/beldin79/

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[Maurice Ling]

Anthony Baxter wrote:

I do agree that open source != hobbyist and I can hear screams already.
What I'm trying to say is that the wordings of this call for proposal on
the webpage is probably alright for hobbyist projects but can't face the
scrutiny of the corporate world.
I'm really not sure what you mean. Plenty of people in "the corporate world"
do open source. Plenty of people in "the corporate world" make money from
open source.

No doubt that people are making money from open source but equivalently,
the same people may be making money from closed source. I'm arguing that
the wordings of this grant is not clear, to the point that we do not
know if this grant is applicable to us.
If the terms for the grants are that the project be open source,
how is this a problem?
Then it will means that some projects may not be able to apply for this
grant if it is the requirement of the project to be proprietary due to
business strategy. What you are saying is that all projects should be
open sourced but that may not be the case. Either that or you are
indiscriminatel y lobbying for the cause of open source irregards of
whether companies are ready for it or not, and then discriminating
against companies who are not ready for it yet. Although I support open
source development and had personally donated my work to Sourceforge and
Biopython project, I will think that it is tyrannic to assume all work
must be open sourced.
It simply means that the person or organisation who
applies for the grants has to factor that element into their calculations.

Without knowing the elements, how am I going to convince anyone on that?
I'm not omnipotent.
Any company in 2004 who is still working in a mode that open source is
some strange thing that isn't used 'in the real world' is probably slow-moving
roadkill.

As mentioned above, parts of the work by my organization had been
donated to public cause, including Biopython project and large public
institutions like NCBI. Even the Online Mendelian Inheritance of Animals
(OMIA) database was initially developed by people in my organization. As
far as I know, some work precipitating to masters degrees had been made
open sourced. So, please refrain from making harsh conclusions. Having
said that, there is always a rubber-stamping process before an open
sourced decision is made. But the wordings and inexactness of this call
for grant proposal makes it hard for me even to get to convince my
people that we should put in an application, not mentioning the
rubber-stamping.

Cheers
Maurice

[Tim Peters]

[Maurice Ling, wants to know whether PSF grants require funded work to be
open-sourced, etc]

While I'm a PSF Director, I'm not on the Grants Committee and don't
speak for them.

I'll just note that since the PSF is a public charity (under US tax
law), there are a lot of rules the PSF has to comply with when
distributing its funds. I expect that answering your questions will
require paying a lawyer to spell out what's possible. I don't know
what they'll say. In general, the PSF is required to act in the
public interest.

That said, the PSF doesn't have a ton of money, and there will almost
certainly be more worthy requests for funding than there are funds to
pass out. Proposals will therefore compete. If I were on the Grants
Committee, whether a proposal would benefit the public at large would
be a major consideration for me. IOW, I think it's predictable-- and
appropriate --that proposals to fund open-source work will "score
points" for that reason alone.