- The Python Software Foundation rejects what would be the largest grant ever
- To accept the grant, it must abandon any DEI-related activity
- The National Science Foundation would be able to “scrape back” the funds
The Python Software Foundation has turned down a $1.5 million government grant to maintain its values and commitment to integrity.
Python’s board voted unanimously to withdraw their application for what would have been the largest grant in the organization’s history in protest of rules outlined by the US government for accepting such awards.
The Trump administration’s anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) requirement means that all recipients of grants awarded by the National Science Foundation must comply with policy requirements, not just for the security work directly funded by the grant, but for ‘any and all activity in the PSF as a whole’ – meaning Python would be forced to abandon any project that might fall under that umbrella.
Right to “fight back”
The terms cited by the Python Software Foundation included the requirement that it would not “during the period of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that promote or promote DEI or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.”
This means that it would not be able to fulfill its founding mission statement’s goal of “supporting and facilitating the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers,” a commitment that is completely inconsistent with the restrictive conditions of the grant.
‘Furthermore, violation of this condition gave NSF the right to “claim back” previously approved and transferred funds. This would create a situation where money we had already spent could be clawed back, which would be a huge, open financial risk,” the Python Software Foundation continued in its statement.
This is not the first time the Trump administration’s attempt to control and manipulate private companies to align with the current administration’s policy vision has fallen flat, with the non-profit organization The Carpentries also withdrawing a similar application so it could continue to support and educate underrepresented students in outreach, recruitment and participation programs.
Nor is the National Science Foundation the only department that applies strict political constraints to its grant programs. The Department of Homeland Security also indicated that election security funding would be withheld from states if they failed to meet voting policy goals — making the funds unavailable to most of the country.
This represents a serious and worrisome step toward authoritarianism, where the president and administration hold the necessary funds hostage to tightly control the political leadership of both private and public organizations.
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