The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) Wednesday provided a new opportunity for developers working with open-source technologies to receive funding for their projects.

OSDL has established the OSDL Fellowship Fund to provide financial support to open-source developers, according to the group. OSDL is a global consortium aimed at promoting the adoption of Linux and open-source software.

In a press statement, Stuart Cohen, chief executive officer of OSDL, said a Technology Advisory Board recently formed within the group was instrumental in setting up the new fund, recognizing the need to fill gaps in open-source development. He said the neutrality of OSDL makes it a good funding candidate for the open-source community.

Open-source developers can submit applications to OSDL for funding, and the group’s board of directors, with input from the advisory board, will evaluate applications. Together, the two boards will decide how funds get allocated and how much money projects will receive, according to OSDL.

OSDL currently is looking to secure financial support for the fund. A website
has been set up to provide more information about how to donate to the Fellowship Fund or to apply for funding.

The OSDL is not new to funding open-source developers who don’t have the benefit of corporate sponsorship. In 2005, the group established the IP Support Fund to help provide legal services to Linux and open-source software developers. Two years before that, the group launched the Linux Legal Defense Fund to help defend Linux creator Linus Torvalds defend himself against a lawsuit by The SCO Group. Today, the group continues to support open-source developers who are threatened by litigation around intellectual property, the OSDL said.

-Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service

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