APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED. THANKS FOR APPLYING.
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The Processing Foundation Software Development Grant or pr05 (pronounced “pros”) is a new mentorship initiative by the Processing Foundation designed to support the professional growth of early to mid-career software developers through hands-on involvement in open-source projects. Participation in the program is entirely online and we invite developers from around the world to apply.
A total of five (5) candidates will be invited to join our 2024 cohort. Selected candidates will receive a $10,000 grant to allow them to spend 200 hours over a period of 4 months on their contributions.
Participants will choose from a predefined list of projects (2024 pr05 Project List) that can be completed under mentorship. In the spirit of our first program's theme "New Beginnings", we have assembled a curated list of projects selected for their potential to solidify and expand the foundations of Processing and p5.js. Each project will be mentored by a developer/contributor experienced in this specific area.
Note: While we will prioritize projects from this list, if you have an exceptional idea that aligns with the grant's objectives, you are welcome to submit a wildcard proposal. For details, see the page linked above.
All pr05 projects must be open source and contributions should be made as PRs to the Processing Foundation repositories. We encourage applicants to think about how their project will support future developments. This includes, but is not limited to: documentation, developer experience, code commenting and reusability, CI/CD, tests, roadmaps, findings from research performed in the context of the project, etc.
Progress updates via our social media, blogs, etc., must be posted after each bi-montly progress meeting with the grantee’s mentor.
Projects are featured on the Processing Foundation’s website, with the grantee’s bio, images, and a link to the project. These materials must be provided by the start of the program and updated at the end.
A final report documenting the work performed during the program will be required to be submitted as a Pull Request to the appropriate repository in the Processing Foundation’s GitHub. Additional documentation in other formats is also welcome (a series of video tutorials, a website, etc.)
Mentors are assigned to each Grantee. Mentors are experienced software professionals and/or core contributors from the Processing and p5.js communities. The role of mentors is to provide guidance (creative, technical, and professional), as well as serve as an advocate for the grantee’s work. Grantees are expected to participate in regular virtual meetings with their mentor. Mentors will also be responsible for evaluating the work done by their mentee at the mid-point and at the end of the program.
We are committed to assembling a diverse and inclusive group of coding professionals. Therefore we particularly encourage applications by individuals from communities historically underrepresented or marginalized in tech fields due to race, gender, class, sexuality, immigration/documentation status, age, geographical location, or disability. Our goal is to assemble a group of grantees that reflects global diversity and brings a variety of perspectives to the development work.
The stipend for the 2024 pr05 grant program is $10,000 USD. Payment of the stipend will be made in four installments: $2,500 USD paid at the start of your project, the remaining split throughout the program, and the remainder upon its completion. Full payment of the grant requires complete and active participation in the program, including cohort meetings, town halls, regular meetings with mentors, and successful evaluations.
Processing Foundation Grantees are expected to commit 200 hours to proposed projects, between July 1st and November 15th, 2024. The 200 hours must take place during this timeline.
- Application Opens: May 1st 2024
- Application Deadline: May 31st 2024
- Semi-Finalist Interviews: Week of June 17th
- Selected participants announced: June 21st
- Program Kick-off: July 1st 2024
- Mid-point check-in: September 1st
- Program End Date: October 31st
Agreement regarding additional schedules and milestones is to be decided upon between the Grantee and their mentor (and advisors, if applicable) by the first week of the program.
Throughout the program, monthly meetings guided by invited experts will cover critical subjects such as governance, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), UX design, accessibility, or community. These sessions are meant to expand participants' understanding of the broader context in which their technical work resides, ensuring they are well-rounded in both their coding abilities and their comprehension of the ethical and operational frameworks of the software. Town halls are hosted together with our partner program the Processing Fellowship.
Established in 2012, the Processing Foundation is a nonprofit whose mission is to promote software literacy in the arts and visual literacy in the field of technology. Our efforts also aim to support people of all backgrounds and actively address systemic biases in art and tech spaces, in particular, those related to gender, race, class, and accessibility. To read more about our mission, visit processingfoundation.org. To learn about our activities, go to processingfoundation.report.
Please read our Frequently Asked Questions.
We value your originality and problem understanding. If you choose to use large language models (LLMs) when writing your proposal, we ask that you do so responsibly. Please make sure that your own knowledge, ideas, and insights form the core of your submission. While these tools can be helpful, they should not replace your own reasoning.