Open at CMU

Where Industry Meets Experimentation

For many biomedical researchers, the biggest challenges don’t begin with a lack of ideas — they begin with a lack of access. Health data is powerful but deeply sensitive, and collaborating across institutions, countries, or health systems often raises legal, ethical, and technical concerns. Yet solving today’s most urgent biomedical questions increasingly depends on working across those boundaries. To address this challenge, the University Libraries and NVIDIA brought students, researchers, and industry experts together for a three-day bioinformatics hackathon the first week of January. The goal was to explore how researchers can work together while keeping sensitive health data secure and decentralized — meaning the data stays where it is, rather than being copied into one central place.

Community Forge Joins the Open Forum for AI to Democratize AI Literacy in Southwestern PA

Community Forge has joined the Open Forum for AI (OFAI), an international initiative focused on advancing human-centered and ethical approaches to artificial intelligence (AI). Launched at Carnegie Mellon University in 2024, OFAI convenes academic institutions and nonprofit organizations to foster collaboration, transparency, and inclusion in the development of AI systems.

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Alliance for Responsible Data Collection Joins Open Forum for AI, Contributing Expertise in Responsible Data Governance

The Alliance for Responsible Data Collection (ARDC) has joined the Open Forum for AI (OFAI), an international initiative focused on advancing human-centered and ethical approaches to artificial intelligence (AI). Launched at Carnegie Mellon University in 2024, OFAI convenes academic institutions and nonprofit organizations to foster collaboration, transparency, and inclusion in the development of AI systems.

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OpenMined Joins Open Forum for AI, Contributing Expertise in Responsible Data Use

OpenMined has joined the Open Forum for AI (OFAI), an international initiative focused on advancing human-centered and ethical approaches to artificial intelligence (AI). Launched at Carnegie Mellon University in 2024, OFAI convenes academic institutions and nonprofit organizations to foster collaboration, transparency, and inclusion in the development of AI systems.

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How the OSPO Supported Hands-On Open Source Opportunities for Students

In most computer science courses, students learn to write and debug code — but don’t always experience firsthand the collaborative, fast-paced environments where real-world software is built. That’s especially true when it comes to open-source software, which is developed publicly by contributors from around the globe.

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Sloan Foundation Funds Launch of ENGIN Software Foundation at Carnegie Mellon University to Support Academic Open Source

Carnegie Mellon University Libraries Associate Dean for Digital Infrastructure G. Sayeed Choudhury has received a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to launch the Ecosystem for Next Generation Infrastructure (ENGIN) Software Foundation. This two-year initiative represents the next strategic phase of the Carnegie Mellon University Open Source Programs Office (OSPO), housed within the University Libraries. The ENGIN Software Foundation (ESF) aims to fill a critical and widely recognized gap in the academic open source ecosystem.

Fall Open Science Programming Celebrates Open Research and Collaboration

This fall, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries hosted a dynamic series of open science events that brought researchers, librarians, and thought leaders together to share resources, exchange ideas, and tackle real-world challenges. Through engaging programming — from an interactive unconference to a global symposium — CMU Libraries reaffirmed its role as a national model for how academic libraries can lead in advancing transparent, collaborative research.

How Librarians are Introducing Students to Open Science Principles

Open science, which refers to the practice of sharing research, data, and findings freely with the public, is becoming increasingly common as recognition of its benefits grows. It aims to make science more transparent, easier to reproduce, and open to more people, including students, researchers, and even curious citizens.

BRAC University Joins Open Forum for AI, Expanding Global Participation in Responsible AI Development

BRAC University has joined Open Forum for AI (OFAI), an international initiative focused on advancing human-centered and ethical approaches to artificial intelligence (AI). Launched at Carnegie Mellon University in 2024, OFAI brings together academic institutions and nonprofit organizations to support collaborative, transparent, and inclusive AI development. The coalition emphasizes an open approach, multi-stakeholder engagement, and public interest values in AI strategy and governance.

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How the OSPO Helped the School of Computer Science’s Diagramming Platform Grow

Introduced in 2020 by researchers from the School of Computer Science, Penrose enables people to create beautiful diagrams just by typing notation in plain text, making it easy for nonexperts to create high-quality visuals that provide deeper insight into challenging technical concepts. The platform is made with open-source software, which means the code is freely available for modification and redistribution.