Python Software Foundation rejects $1.5M U.S. cybersecurity grant

The Python Software Foundation withdrew from a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant after objecting to contract terms restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, reports CyberScoop.

Deputy Executive Director Loren Crary said the language required the PSF to affirm it does not or would not "during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI, or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws," applying the restriction to all foundation activities.

The agreement also included a "claw back" clause allowing the government to reclaim spent funds. The grant is part of NSF's "Safety, Security, and Privacy of Open Source Ecosystem" program, aimed at strengthening open-source software security.

Crary said accepting the terms would have been a "betrayal" of the PSF's commitment to supporting a diverse international Python community. The proposed project would have developed automated tools to detect malicious code on PyPI, benefiting broader open-source ecosystems such as Crates.io and NPM.