Consulting #
Open Science Labs (OSL) welcomes consulting enquiries from research institutions, nonprofits, companies, open-source projects, community organisations, and other groups working in open science and technology.
A consulting engagement is formal, scoped work. Before work begins, the parties must agree on the intended outcomes, responsibilities, timeline, budget, delivery structure, and an approved contracting and payment route.
Areas of interest #
The following examples describe areas in which OSL is interested in contributing. They are not commitments that a particular service, specialist, or delivery schedule will be available.
- Open-source project strategy: repository assessment, project planning, contribution workflows, maintainership practices, and sustainability.
- Scientific and technical software: architecture, implementation, testing, packaging, releases, and maintenance planning.
- Research workflows: reproducibility, data and computational workflows, research software practices, and technical documentation.
- Documentation and contributor experience: onboarding, contribution guides, tutorials, developer documentation, and release processes.
- Education and mentorship: workshops, learning materials, mentoring workflows, and open-source contributor programmes.
- Community and programme development: project incubation, affiliation, community participation, and responsible collaboration practices.
The final scope depends on the project's needs, available expertise, risk, capacity, and the appropriate legal and delivery arrangements.
Ways to work with us #
Defined consulting engagement #
A defined engagement has an agreed scope, deliverables, schedule, budget, and review process. It may be appropriate for an assessment, implementation, documentation project, workshop, or other time-limited body of work.
Continuing support #
Some projects may need maintenance, technical advice, documentation, training, or community support over a longer period. Any continuing arrangement must define priorities, response expectations, available capacity, and how either party may change or end the work.
Partner-supported engagement #
When the work would benefit from complementary expertise or delivery capacity, OSL may explore an engagement involving an appropriate partner, affiliated project, or independent specialist. Participation is conditional on fit, availability, and the necessary review and approvals; it is not guaranteed.
The appropriate contracting and payment arrangement will be discussed before any commitment is made. Depending on the engagement, OSL may coordinate work through an Open Source Collective (OSC)-approved agreement, participate in an approved collaboration, or introduce the client to an independent provider contracting separately. OSC does not automatically become the contracting party for independently delivered work.
A referral is an introduction, not a guaranteed placement, endorsement, warranty, or promise about an independent provider's quality or availability. OSL may not be involved in the resulting contract, delivery, payment, or supervision.
Other consulting and collaboration needs #
The services described on this page represent the areas in which OSL is most interested in contributing, but they are not an exhaustive list.
You are welcome to contact us if your project requires a different type of open-source, scientific, technical, educational, or community-focused support.
Depending on the request, available expertise, and the appropriate contracting structure, OSL may be able to:
- develop a customised scope;
- collaborate with an affiliated project or community;
- bring together contributors with complementary expertise;
- explore delivery alongside a research institution, nonprofit, company, or other partner;
- connect you with an independent specialist or organisation that may be better suited to the work.
Partner-supported and customised engagements are considered individually. Availability is not guaranteed, and any formal involvement by OSL or Open Source Collective remains subject to the applicable review and approval process.
Contact: team@opensciencelabs.org
Discuss another consulting need
Consulting, support, and paid contribution programmes #
Formal consulting is different from general community support. Questions and discussions in OSL's public community channels are informal and provided on a best-effort basis; they do not include agreed deliverables, response times, confidentiality, or an obligation to continue support.
Paid internships, fellowships, and other contributor opportunities are separate programmes with their own eligibility, selection, funding, and supervision requirements. Contacting OSL about consulting does not create a paid contribution opportunity, and participation in a community or contributor programme does not create a consulting relationship.
When a request needs accountable delivery, a defined schedule, confidential handling, or dedicated capacity, the work should be discussed as a formal consulting engagement before it begins.
How an engagement is considered #
OSL considers each enquiry individually. An initial discussion usually covers:
- the problem, intended outcome, and people affected by the work;
- the repository, documentation, data, infrastructure, and relevant constraints;
- the proposed scope, responsibilities, deliverables, and review process;
- technical, scientific, ethical, privacy, security, or regulatory requirements;
- the timeline, budget, available expertise, and delivery capacity;
- whether OSL should deliver directly, explore a partner-supported engagement, make a referral, or recommend another route;
- the contracting and payment structure that would need approval.
An initial conversation is exploratory. No work, partnership, referral, or contract is promised until the appropriate parties have reviewed and approved the arrangement.
Start a conversation #
Tell us about the project, repository, research workflow, or technical problem you would like to discuss.
You are also welcome to contact us when your needs do not fit neatly into one of the services described on this page. We can discuss whether OSL can support the work directly, develop a customised engagement, collaborate with an appropriate partner, or suggest another route.
Helpful information includes:
- a link to the repository, project, or relevant documentation;
- a short description of the problem;
- the outcome you would like to achieve;
- important technical, scientific, ethical, or regulatory requirements;
- your preferred timeline;
- your approximate budget or funding constraints;
- whether the work must be public;
- whether confidential information or restricted data is involved;
- whether you need a defined project, continuing maintenance, or another form of support;
- whether you are open to an engagement involving an appropriate partner, affiliated project, or independent specialist.
A complete specification is not required before contacting OSL. An initial discussion can help determine the appropriate workflow, delivery structure, and whether the request is a suitable fit.
Primary contact: team@opensciencelabs.org