Advancing an Inclusive Culture in the Scientific Python Ecosystem

The lack of diverse representation among contributors and maintainers of open source projects is a well-known problem. While hiring maintainers from diverse backgrounds would address this problem temporarily, it’s not a long-term solution. This joint proposal from NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, and pandas focuses on creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) action plan and dedicated positions to identify, document, and implement practices to foster inclusive open-source communities. The team proposes creating “Contributor Experience Lead” positions, providing a focused approach to engaging, onboarding, and supporting new contributors, especially those from historically underrepresented groups. The scope of these new positions is a mix of technical and community work, with a focus on actions that help diversify contribution paths and build spaces where diverse newcomers can thrive. Additionally, to better understand actions that will promote inclusion and have a measurable impact on increasing diversity in all projects, the team will develop a DEI action plan in collaboration with an outside consultant familiar with open source in the first six months of this work.