The PSF rejects $1.5M grant from the US government because of ethical concerns

The Python Software Foundation (PSF) has refused to accept a $1.5 million grant from the United States government because one of its conditions forces the organization to abandon its diversity, equity, and inclusion policy.

In January 2025, the PSF submitted a proposal to the US government National Science Foundation (NSF) under the NSF's Safety, Security, and Privacy of Open Source Ecosystems program, an initiative to address structural vulnerabilities in Python and Python Package Index (PyPI).

It was the first time the PSF applied for government funding, and it took a lot of time and effort to complete the vetting process. Once the funding was recommended, the foundation was obviously honored. That is, until the foundation got word of the funding terms and conditions it would have to agree to accept the grant.

“These terms included affirming the statement that we ‘do not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion, ed.], or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws,’” the PSF writes in a blog post.

Op top of that, this restriction would apply not just to the security work funded by the grant but to all activities of the PSF as a whole. In addition, the NSF would be allowed to take back funds that were previously approved and transferred to the foundation if it violated the terms and conditions.

“This would create a situation where money we’d already spent could be taken back, which would be an enormous, open-ended financial risk,” the foundation explains.

Furthermore, diversity, equity, and inclusion are some of the foundation's core values. That’s why the PSF turned down the $1.5 million grant that was approved by the NSF.

“Given the value of the grant to the community and the PSF, we did our utmost to get clarity on the terms and to find a way to move forward in concert with our values. In the end, however, the PSF simply can’t agree to a statement that we won’t operate any programs that ‘advance or promote’ diversity, equity, and inclusion, as it would be a betrayal of our mission and our community,” the Python Software Foundation concludes.

The PSF Board voted unanimously to withdraw its application.

The foundation stresses that the need for financial support is now greater than ever. That’s why it calls on people to become a supporting member, donate, or sponsor.

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