The Python Software Foundation (PSF) has announced that it has withdrawn its $1.5 million proposal to the U.S. government’s National Science Foundation after discovering terms that would have restricted the organization’s ability to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Here’s how it all unfolded.
In January 2025, the PSF applied for funding under the NSF’s Safety, Security, and Privacy of Open Source Ecosystems program. The proposal sought to address structural vulnerabilities in Python and the PyPI—a move intended to bolster the security of the Python ecosystem and protect millions of users from potential supply-chain attacks.
The grant, worth $1.5 million over two years, represented a major opportunity for the relatively small non-profit, which operates on an annual budget of around $5 million and has just 14 staff members.
After an extensive, months-long vetting process led by Seth Larson, PSF’s Security Developer in Residence, and Loren Crary, the Foundation’s Deputy Executive Director, the proposal was recommended for funding—a rare success for a first-time NSF applicant.
However, the celebration was short-lived. The PSF was presented with a clause stating that recipients must affirm they “do not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI, or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws.”
Crucially, this restriction would have applied not just to the project funded by the grant but to all activities of the PSF, exposing the organization to potential clawbacks of previously spent funds if found in violation.
The Foundation made clear that accepting those terms would directly contradict its mission statement, which commits to “promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers.”
After consulting its NSF contacts and reviewing similar cases, including The Carpentries’ decision in comparable circumstances, the PSF ultimately decided it could not sign the required statement without betraying its values.
“We simply can’t agree to a statement that we won’t operate any programs that ‘advance or promote’ diversity, equity, and inclusion, as it would be a betrayal of our mission and our community,” the organization stated.
So, at the end, the PSF Board voted unanimously to withdraw the proposal, prioritizing ethical integrity over the significant financial and operational advantages the grant would have brought.
The PSF noted that forfeiting the grant will have financial implications, especially amid inflation, lower sponsorship, and economic uncertainty in the tech sector. Still, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion and community diversity, making it non-negotiable.
For more information, see the official PSF’s announcement.
“or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws”
“violates its mission and community spirit”
Amazing. Python stands with discrimination.
DEI is discrimination. It does not hire based on merit, but instead actively encourages discrimination AGAINST certain skin colors and races, and discriminates FOR other skin colors and races. I have been discriminated against since the early 90’s based on similar programs, not called DEI back then. And I’m white/Caucasian. I’m not resentful. Just stating the facts. It’s not like we haven’t been rooting for the underdogs for a very long time. I truly want the underdogs to rise up and have a chance, based on merit.
Sounds like you got let go for telling problematic jokes. I’m white from rural lower class Oklahoma and have never felt discriminated against because of my skin color. You ever stop to consider the problem might just be you?