Open Source and Open Data at UC#

UC Love Data Week is an annual event that brings together students, researchers, and staff to explore data practices, open science, and research infrastructure across the UC system. This year, I co-led a session on OSPOs in Higher Ed with Stephanie Lieggi (UCSC), Amber Budden (UCSB), and Todd Grappone (UCLA), introducing the UC OSPO Network and its role in supporting open-source research and software sustainability.

With 15 attendees—many from UC libraries—we discussed how OSPOs can help researchers and institutions sustain and manage their open-source projects. The session also provided an opportunity to gather feedback on what researchers need most when it comes to open-source support.

The UC OSPO Network#

The UC OSPO Network is a multi-campus initiative designed to support open-source initiatives across UC. Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the network includes representatives from UCLA, UCSD, UCSC, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley, with ongoing engagement from other campuses.

Our efforts focus on three key areas:

  • Discovery – Identifying and tracking open-source projects within UC to better understand trends, contributions, and opportunities. Tools like the UC Open Source Repository Browser (UC ORB) will help visualize UC’s OSS footprint.
  • Education – Conducting a gap analysis of existing open-source training resources (Carpentries, CodeRefinery, Turing Way, and UC-developed materials) and developing new content to address gaps.
  • Sustainability – Creating best practices, governance models, and community-building strategies to help ensure long-term viability for UC open-source projects.

Researcher Challenges in Open Source#

During the session, we asked attendees:

What is the biggest challenge you face in managing, sharing, or sustaining your research data or software?

Their responses highlighted some of the most pressing issues:

  • Software obsolescence & reproducibility – “Thinking of alternatives or reproducibility when older software is sunsetted or datasets are removed.”
  • Instructional materials & sharing barriers – “If we use in-house software, I may not always have a tutorial to reference, and I would create my own, but cannot necessarily share it with the larger crowd.”
  • Lack of documentation – “There needs to be more of it, and it needs to be better.”
  • Need for qualified instructors – “Finding qualified instructors to teach tools and techniques for managing, publishing, and reusing data and software assets.”
  • From research-grade to production-ready software – “As a support staff member, I find there’s a big activation energy from ‘research grade’ to really polished software.”

These responses align with the core challenges the UC OSPO Network is working to address.

OSPOs as a Bridge for Open Source and Open Data#

One of the main takeaways from the discussion was the need for better integration between open-source software and research data services and infrastructure. OSPOs can play a role in addressing these challenges by:

  • Providing guidance on licensing, governance, and compliance
  • Offering infrastructure and tools to support open-source development
  • Expanding training opportunities and workshops for researchers
  • Helping transition research software into sustainable, reusable tools
  • Connecting open-source initiatives with libraries and data services

What’s Next?#

The feedback from Love Data Week reinforced the growing demand for structured support around open-source software in research. In the coming months, the UC OSPO Network will:

  • Expand training and educational offerings
  • Strengthen collaborations between research groups and libraries
  • Improve documentation and sustainability models
  • Advocate for UC-wide policies that support open-source software

Stay Connected#

To learn more about the UC OSPO Network and how to get involved:

  • Visit the website: https://ucospo.net
  • Connect with your campus OSPO lead
  • Follow UC-wide open-source initiatives

The Love Data Week discussion underscored that open-source software is essential for research sustainability. By working together, we can help UC researchers create, share, and sustain impactful open-source projects.