The Open Source Science Project

The Open Source Science Project (The OSSP) is a web-based social business wholly dedicated to rendering transparent the 'black-box' of contemporary scientific research and increasing its accessibility by affording all individuals - irrespective of geographic, cultural, socio-economic, academic, or personal background; the opportunity to participate directly in the scientific research process. The company operates on a 'No-Loss, Non-Dividend' basis with crowd funding.

History of The OSSP

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The idea of developing an openly-accessible scientific research curriculum was inspired by a series of web-based tutorials co-founder and executive director Priyan Weerappuli was asked to design while an undergraduate research intern at The Johns Hopkins University. In designing these tutorials, Priyan was introduced to the idea that scientific understanding is not a 'complete' body of information, but rather, a transient understanding continually refined by inquiry and interpretation.

In an effort to communicate this reality to science students at all stages of their education; Priyan began developing a research-based neuroscience curriculum (referred to as The Human Brain Project) that he later formally incorporated as "The Human Brain Project" in January 2007. Initially, this curriculum sought to communicate the 'incomplete' nature of our understanding regarding the structure and function of the human brain and its related systems.

The OSSP was formally founded by Priyan Weerappuli, Parakrama Weerappuli, and Sarath Joshua in June 2008 (formerly The Human Brain Project) to serve as a 'parent organization' for The Human Brain Project, The Natural World Project, and The Human World Project. In concert, these sub-organizations seek to produce a comprehensive research-based curriculum that extends across the breadth of all formally defined scientific disciplines (i.e. biology, physics, chemistry) without regard for the academic boundaries that distinguish each.

Resources

The OSSP has, to date, produced four additional web-based tools to compliment (and feed) its comprehensive research-based curriculum:

• Discussion Forum
• Research Microfinance Platform
• Research Log Library
• Research Laboratory Directory

The discussion forum was developed with the ultimate objective of supporting a global dialogue to enable researchers and non-researchers alike to discuss and deliberate cutting-edge scientific concepts and ideas. The research microfinance platform was developed to allow individuals with creative research ideas to present them to the broader internet community, and to seek funding (in the form of microinvestments). In exchange, researchers pursuing research through this platform will publicly disclose their progress throughout the duration of the study. In addition, incentives will be provided to ensure that intellectual property and data produced by these studies will be released under licenses (i.e. Creative Commons) that enable researchers to adequately receive credit for their work while simultaneously enabling other researchers to verify the reproducibility of the experimental results.

The research log library was developed to provide a forum where researchers could receive feedback regarding their work while the particular study is ongoing. The research laboratory directory, currently under development, seeks to produce a comprehensive directory of laboratories to enable students to more easily identify faculty mentors, potential sites where they may conduct research, or apply for research internships/positions.

The Clean Water and Sustainability Initiative

On September 1, 2010, The Open Source Science Project launched "The Clean Water and Sustainability Initiative". This initiative is a five-year effort seeking to have a meaningful, and sustained, impact upon the quality and utilization of water resources in the Chesapeake Bay, US Great Lakes, and Gulf of Mexico through a combination of undergraduate research and partnerships The OSSP has established with non-profit organizations.

On January 24, 2011, The OSSP announced its initiation of a nutrient survey of the Mississippi River and its major tributaries/distributaries including the Missouri River and the Atchafalaya River. This nutrient survey is the first research project formally proposed and managed under the aegis of The Clean Water and Sustainability Initiative.

Excess inorganic nutrients (primarily nitrates and phosphorus) introduced into the Mississippi River watershed are believed to contribute to the hypoxic zone existing within the Gulf of Mexico. By conducting the nutrient survey proposed, The OSSP hopes to identify non-point source 'hot spots' where nutrients may be entering the river in particularly high concentrations, and to better understand the process by which these nutrients are transported along the length of the river before they are ultimately released into the Gulf of Mexico.

External links

• Project Homepage
• "From the Director's Desk" Blog