OSPO Hackathon Sponsorships
The Open Source Program Office (OSPO) is pleased to announce a new program of sponsorships supporting student-organized hackathons on campus thanks to generous support from the Dr. Hillard and Joan Lazarus Open Scholarship Fund. Funding is limited, so apply today to receive up to $500 to support your campus event!
The open source programs office (OSPO) raises awareness and capacity for open source software to better develop, manage, curate, and share it for research, education, translation, and broader impact.
For more information, please contact Tom Hughes, OSPO Community Manager, at thughes@cmu.edu.
What can this funding support?
Interested students can work as a newly formed group or as part of an established student organization to host an in-person, hackathon (or similar event) that brings together the campus community to collaborate around a particular theme. Hackathons could be focused on software, hardware, or an exploratory topic—but in order to be eligible, the event must have a thematic connection to open source software.
This funding is available to support a single event taking place during the 2023/2024 academic year.
How much funding is available?
Student groups can qualify for a sponsorship of up to $500. Funds are to be spent by a sponsoring club, unit or department on supplies, materials and expenses directly related to hosting your event.
Funding cannot be spent for items such as conference fees or personal travel costs.
What are the requirements?
- This proposed event must take place in-person, on CMU’s campus. Hybrid attendance can be incorporated, but the event must primarily be in-person.
- While certain skill prerequisites may be required by organizers for participation, supported events must be open for participation to the CMU campus community.
- Post-event, student organizers must submit a brief report to the OSPO including:
- A two-three paragraph summary of the event
- Attendance numbers
- Documentation (e.g. photos, project links, links to github repositories)
Who is eligible?
- This opportunity is available to currently enrolled students only.
- Students must apply as a group. While events can be open beyond the campus community, the organizing group of students must be currently enrolled, CMU students.
- While an individual student may be part of more than one group that receives a sponsorship, sponsorships are limited to one group per academic year.
- Student groups must have a sponsoring club, unit or department that is able to receive and spend sponsorship funds.
How do I apply?
Please send an email proposal to ospo@andrew.cmu.edu with the subject line “Student Hackathon Proposal.” The OSPO Community Manager will review and approve proposals based on eligibility and merit.
You proposal should include:
- Your name and the names of your collaborators and/or student organization.
- The proposed date of the hackathon.
- A brief description of the event — Including your goals for the event, the connection to open source, and your intended use of the funds.
Proposals will be reviewed and awarded in the order in which they are received.