this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2025
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Python Foundation rejects $1.5M grant from NSF with "no-DEI" strings (www.theregister.com)
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by brianpeiris@lemmy.ca to c/technology@lemmy.world
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National Science Foundation (NSF) had offered $1.5 million to address structural vulnerabilities in Python and the Python Package Index (PyPI), but the Foundation quickly became dispirited with the terms of the grant it would have to follow.

"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], or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws,'" Crary noted. "This restriction would apply not only to the security work directly funded by the grant, but to any and all activity of the PSF as a whole."

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[–] jmsy@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (3 children)

what would happen if they took the money and didn't comply?

[–] elvis_depresley@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

the terms included a provision that if the PSF was found to have violated that anti-DEI diktat, the NSF reserved the right to claw back any previously disbursed funds

So even if they didn't violate the anti-DEI, whoever controls the US gov could just decide to claw back money PSF already spent...

[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

Yeah, this is one of those terrible ideas even if you thought that, in theory, you were onboard with 'anti-DEI'.

Out of the blue the wrong person gets randomly pissed at you and invokes the highly subjective clause and suddenly you owe them $1.5M...

[–] hayvan@feddit.nl 7 points 2 days ago

I think at this point it's not about money, it's about sending a message.

[–] deathbird@mander.xyz 3 points 2 days ago

The way it's written it's impossible to know if you're complying or not. They might have just said "don't be woke" or "don't piss us off".