Invest in Open Infrastructure (IOI)
Background: Invest in Open Infrastructure (IOI) is a nonprofit initiative launched in 2019 dedicated to improving funding and resourcing for open technologies and systems supporting research and scholarship. Recognizing the current ways open projects are funded are insufficient, IOI works to catalyze additional investment in open infrastructure, offer strategic support in partnership with infrastructure providers and funders, and provide actionable, evidence-based tools to institutions and funders of open infrastructure.
Mission: IOI works to increase investment in and adoption of open infrastructure to further equitable access to and participation in research. provide targeted, evidence-based guidance to institutions and funders of open infrastructure to help them make informed decisions about where to invest in building a healthy, open science ecosystem. Its goal is to improve the funding and sustainability of the sector, in ways that are in line with the values of the academy and not one that is co-opted or controlled by commercial interests.
Community over Commercialization:
“For research and education to thrive, there needs to be a free flow of information, resources, access, and the ability for folks to participate in the creation of that. At the foundational level, we believe community-owned and community-operated infrastructure plays a critical role in facilitating open and equitable access to knowledge to achieve that vision..”
“We are launching a fund for network adoption in 2024 that aims to support national, education and regional research networks and library consortia in North America, Latin America and Africa. We want to fund those networks in an equitable way – working hand in hand with them to understand what can help further the adoption, implementation and usability of open infrastructure.”
“We work with communities to deeply understand their needs, rather than prescribing them solutions. We work to address the really sticky challenge of how to move adoption forward, knowing that adoption is critical for the ongoing growth and sustainability of open infrastructure - both financially and for increased usability and contribution.”
“Looking at the theme of Community over Commercialization, if we're going to be looking at supporting an ecosystem of community-owned infrastructure, we recognize that funding for the infrastructure alone is not sufficient. It's important, but we also need to think about what barriers are keeping communities from adopting en masse or making the switch, and where resourcing can help.”
“Reinvestment in the communities that many companies and other entities rely upon is necessary because, without that, we don't have a healthy ecosystem. Without that, these other areas of business are not possible. We need to make sure that the profits for that are also shared and rooted in reinvestment that prioritizes community involvement, governance, as well as participation at every level.”
“In IOI’s governance, we’ve brought different communities around the world together--those that are within the scholarly communication or science ecosystem, as well as intentionally looking at those that are outside of the spaces who've worked to help advance digital public goods, digital equity, data ecosystems, etc. We find it’s pivotal they are part of this conversation so that we can learn from one another and apply some of the things that they have found helpful in moving forward global change.”
“This is not just a research, science or scholarly communications challenge. Access to information and knowledge is a global issue, so we ensure that we have representation from those that have the perspective from within the spaces that we operate and those external voices so we can continue to learn and continue to challenge our assumptions.”
“We are prioritizing representation from the communities that are most impacted —looking at affordability and access, as well as a call for broader public investment, and more creative ways to look at that more sustaining investment, so that we aren't continually stuck in this cycle of recognizing value, but then not having the longer term funding to make it a reality.”
-Kaitlin Thaney, Executive Director, Invest in Open Infrastructure