Episode 297: Ashwathi Iyer and Megan Forbes on Academic OSPOs and TTOs
Sustain · Nov 13, 2026 · 31:19
Sustain · Nov 13, 2026 · 31:19
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Megan Forbes | Ashwathi Iyer
PanelistRichard Littauer
Show NotesWhat happens to open source projects when the research funding runs out? Universities are responsible for creating groundbreaking software but keeping those projects alive long after their initial development can be a challenge. In this episode of Sustain, Richard Littauer sits down with Ashwathi Iyer from the University of Michigan and Megan Forbes from Johns Hopkins University to explore how Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) and Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) are working together to build a more sustainable future for open source research software. They discuss innovative funding models, the importance of community building, and why successful open source projects don't always need to become startups or massive organizations. Press download now!
[00:01:02] Megan explains how Johns Hopkins' OSPO supports researchers and helps sustain projects beyond grant funding.
[00:02:45] Ashwathi explains technology transfer offices and their role in supporting open source innovation, and Michigan's MOSS initiative focuses on community building, funding pathways, and long-term sustainability.
[00:08:26] Megan discusses helping researchers choose between foundations, fiscal sponsorship, and commercial models.
[00:09:19] Ashwathi explores the challenge of scaling personalized support across hundreds of research projects.
[00:12:35] Ashwathi explains invention disclosures and how universities identify projects with commercial potential, and she further explains that open source doesn't need to be commercialized to have an impact, but every project needs a sustainability plan.
[00:16:03] Megan introduces the It Takes a Village project at Lyrasis for open source governance, community engagement, and funding.
[00:18:12] Megan explains Johns Hopkins leverages graduate students and postdocs through its Commercialization Academy.
[00:19:53] Ashwathi explains Michigan uses fellows to help projects develop outreach, marketing, and community-building strategies and why dedicated project contributors are essential for building sustainable communities.
[00:23:28] Ashwathi discusses Michigan's experience supporting open source startups and nonprofit spinouts and Megan explains why sustainability doesn't always mean growth and why strong governance matters.
[00:26:55] Find out where you can learn more MOSS and Hopkins OSPO.
Quotes[00:05:24] “OSS is a core part of having research impact, having societal impact, and we have so many commercial OSS companies in the world that are amazingly successful, so it could be a pathway to having financial impact.”
[00:14:41] “If the research team wants to give away the project for free, they want to make it publicly available, we’re 100% in support of that, but even that kind of project needs some kind of sustainability model.”
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