Network Services

Whether you’re a researcher navigating open source licensing, a student looking to contribute to your first project, or a project maintainer building a community—we’re here to help. The tables below are a quick reference; click any service name for details.

Consulting¶

Licensing, IP & Compliance¶

Expert consultation on open source license selection, compliance, and intellectual property considerations for UC research projects. We help researchers, students, and staff navigate licensing decisions and ensure UC’s interests are protected while maximizing project impact. Includes review of procurement contracts and software acquisitions for compatibility with UC’s open source policies.

Service capabilities:

• License compatibility analysis for multi-component projects

• Intellectual property assessment and patent review coordination

• Open source license selection guidance based on project goals

• Compliance review for dependencies and third-party code

• Copyright and attribution requirements clarification

• Contract terms review for open source compatibility

• License restriction identification and negotiation support

• Technology stack integration assessment

• Contribution rights verification and clarification

• Vendor lock-in risk analysis

Contact: Karla Padilla (UCSD)

Funding & Grant Support¶

Support for securing and managing funding for open source projects emerging from UC research—from writing grants to accepting donations.

Service capabilities:

• Grant proposal development with open source components

• Network staff available as named personnel on grants

• Fiscal sponsorship model evaluation and selection guidance

• Connection with appropriate fiscal sponsors for project needs

• Application process support and document preparation

• Ongoing sponsor relationship management advice

• Financial reporting and compliance guidance

Contact: Stephanie Lieggi (UCSC), Emily Lovell (UCSC), Kirstie Whitaker (UCB), Jarrod Millman (UCB), Laura Langdon (Network Community Manager)

Community Management & Engagement Support¶

Guidance and resources for building and sustaining healthy open source communities around UC research projects. This includes landscape analysis, community health assessments, contributor engagement strategies, and community survey support.

Service capabilities:

• Community health assessment and strategic planning

• Contributor onboarding and engagement strategy development

• Landscape analysis to identify potential collaborators and competitors

• Community survey design and implementation

• Governance structure development and documentation

• Conflict resolution and moderation guidance

Contact: Laura Langdon (Network Community Manager)

Software Citation & Research Impact¶

Services around software citation, tracking research software impact, and helping researchers get credit for software contributions. This includes guidance on persistent identifiers, FAIR4RS principles, and integration with institutional repositories.

Service capabilities:

• Software citation workflow implementation (CFF files, DOIs, Zenodo integration)

• Persistent identifier strategy and registration support

• Research software metadata standardization

• Impact tracking and metrics development for software outputs

• FAIR4RS principles application and assessment

• Integration with institutional repositories and research profiles

Contact: Virginia Scarlett (UCSB)

Research Software Best Practices¶

Consulting on technical excellence in research software projects, helping teams build high-quality, maintainable software through sound architecture, documentation, and testing practices.

Service capabilities:

• Code architecture and modularity design for maintainability and extensibility

• Documentation strategies covering user guides, technical specifications, and contributor onboarding

• Testing frameworks and quality assurance implementation

• Technical debt management and refactoring guidance

• Software citation implementation and scholarly impact tracking

Contact: Virginia Scarlett (UCSB)

Industry Partnership Facilitation¶

Connections between UC open source projects and industry partners, foundations, and open source organizations. These partnerships create pathways for funding, adoption, and collaborative development.

Service capabilities:

• Industry partner identification and introduction facilitation

• Foundation and nonprofit funding connection

• Collaboration agreement negotiation support

• Open source foundation engagement (Linux Foundation, Apache, etc.)

• Technology transfer and commercialization pathway guidance

Contact: Stephanie Lieggi (UCSC), Emily Lovell (UCSC)

Events & Training¶

Training & Workshops¶

Workshops on open source best practices, licensing, project governance, community building, and related topics. Available locally through campus OSPOs and network-wide through virtual sessions. This also includes help for aspiring contributors getting started in open source development through education, mentorship, project matching, and direct support—whether you’re a student building a portfolio or a researcher looking to contribute to projects in your field.

Service capabilities:

• Open source fundamentals, licensing, and governance workshops

• Technical workshops on version control, documentation, testing, and contribution workflows

• Community management and contributor engagement sessions

• Newcomer support—project matching, mentorship connections, and guidance on community norms

• Custom training for specific campus or departmental needs

• Maintainer onboarding and train-the-trainer programs

• Shared curriculum with CURIOSS partner institutions

Contact: Laura Langdon (Network Community Manager), local campuses

Student Programs & Hackathons¶

Programs like the Open Source Research Experience (OSRE) connect UC students with open source mentorship opportunities and real-world project experience, building valuable skills and career pathways while contributing to the broader open source ecosystem.

Service capabilities:

• Student-project matching for research and development opportunities

• Structured mentorship programs with experienced open source developers

• Stipend and funding coordination for student participants

• Professional development workshops and skill-building activities

• Career pathway guidance for students interested in open source

Contact: Laura Langdon (Network Community Manager), local campuses

Community & Events¶

Communication channels (including our Slack workspace), regular meetups, campus-specific events, network-wide virtual gatherings, and the annual UC Open conference bring together the UC open source community for knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Service capabilities:

• Communication channels including Slack workspaces and mailing lists for ongoing discussions

• Regular meetups and knowledge-sharing sessions on technical practices, funding strategies, and community management

• Campus-specific events and network-wide virtual gatherings for collaboration

• Annual UC Open Source Summit bringing together the entire UC open source community

• Resource sharing and collaborative problem-solving across campuses

Contact: Laura Langdon (Network Community Manager), local campuses

Office Hours & Coworking¶

Twice-weekly drop-in sessions provide informal support, advice on licensing, documentation, grant proposals, and a dedicated space to work alongside the UC open source community.

Service capabilities:

• Guidance on open source licensing, compliance, and intellectual property questions

• Assistance finding suitable projects to contribute to or recruiting contributors for your project

• Documentation strategy and technical writing support

• Connections with other UC maintainers, contributors, and open source professionals

• Grant proposal feedback and funding strategy consultation

• Dedicated time and community support for project work and administrative tasks

Contact: Laura Langdon (Network Community Manager)

Tools¶

UC ORB (UC Open Repository Browser)¶

A centralized platform for discovering and showcasing open source projects across the UC system. UC ORB increases visibility of UC’s open source contributions and makes it easier to find collaborators across campuses.

Service capabilities:

• Centralized search and discovery of UC open source projects

• Project metadata curation and standardization

• Cross-campus collaboration facilitation through project visibility

• Analytics and reporting on UC open source activity

• Integration with institutional repositories and research profiles

• Project showcase for visibility with potential sponsors and industry partners

• Contact list generation for cross-campus collaboration and outreach

Contact: Juanita Gomez (UCSC)