The Global Sustainability Coalition for Open Science Services (SCOSS), established in 2017, is a network of influential organisations committed to helping secure OA and OS infrastructure well into the future. 

Our purpose is to help identify non-commercial services essential to Open Science, and to make qualified recommendations on which of these services should be considered for funding support. Only non-commercial services on unsound financial footing are eligible. SCOSS provides the framework and funding structure, vetting potential candidates based on a defined set of criteria. The most eligible of those that pass the vigorous evaluation are then presented to the global OA/OS community of stakeholders with an appeal for monetary support in a crowdfunding-style approach.

SCOSS-supported open science infrastructure provides the scientific and scholarly community with resources and services to access, share, and assess research. SCOSS is a pragmatic approach to investing in open infrastructure; one that allows stakeholder institutions to participate in the direct and immediate funding of essential infrastructure. It is not the only pathway or means to invest in open infrastructure.

Encouragingly, since 2018, there has been a flurry of activity in this space. SCOSS runs parallel with a range of important, ambitious efforts aimed at investing in and supporting open infrastructure.

Though our approaches may differ, we all share the same goal of investing in open infrastructure. There is still much to be done before we have a global answer for how best to efficiently and effectively secure the future of open science infrastructure. Working together on this as a community is essential. In September 2018, a new initiative was launched called Invest in Open Infrastructure, where those engaged in this area regularly gather to update each other on their approaches, and to explore how we can move forward together. SCOSS is a member of this group.

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In 2021 we published our strategy for the coming three years. It sets out SCOSS’s goals for the next 3 years and the steps SCOSS will take to achieve them. You can find it here.