The Rust Innovation Lab welcomes open source projects of all kinds that use, or focus on, the Rust Programming Language and that align with the goals and values of the Rust Foundation. Projects can be from anywhere in the world, and include software projects, open source conferences, open source research efforts, etc — as long as it's clearly beneficial for the Rust ecosystem.
Not every project will be the right fit for the Rust Innovation Lab. We review each application carefully to ensure it aligns with our mission, strategy and values and its purpose is compatible with our nonprofit status. If we feel there’s a mismatch, we may decline your application. While our decision is final, you're always welcome to reapply in the future when your project meets our requirements.
The conditions of membership include providing clear processes for the operation/cessation of the project, details of official project personnel, and any other required information to ensure legal and fiscal compliance.
To be eligible for inclusion into the RIL, the following baseline criteria must be met:
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Applicant(s) must have an appropriate level of access and standing in the project's community to act as a representative (i.e., be a maintainer, not just a contributor).
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The project must demonstrate recent, active development.
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The project must be able to demonstrate a meaningful impact within the Rust ecosystem, or, for new projects, be able to articulate its potential impact.
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The project must be original or a substantial fork of an existing project.
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The project must be appropriately licensed and operate according to the principles of The Open Source Definition.
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The project must have an appropriate governance structure.
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The project must be able to sustain its own funding requirements.
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The project must agree to follow the Rust Foundation Code of Conduct and implement a Privacy Policy if they are handling Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
To be fiscally hosted by the Rust Foundation, your open source software project must meet the following requirements:
We assess ownership, activity, usage, and originality when making decisions about whether a project is a good fit for the Rust Innovation Lab.
- Applicant(s) must have an appropriate level of access and standing in the project's community to act as a representative (i.e. be a maintainer, not just a contributor).
- The project should demonstrate recent, active development.
- The project should have a significant degree of usage, and be able to point to meaningful impact within the Rust ecosystem.
- The project should be original or a substantial fork of an existing project.
The project should be appropriately licensed and operate according to the principles of The Open Source Definition.
Successful projects are run sustainably with good management, decision-making and participation structures. We therefore look at a project's governance structure when considering fiscal sponsorship.
Good governance structures and documentation:
- Demonstrate to potential contributors that their contributions will be welcomed and valued
- Provide a pathway for contributors to be promoted to maintainer or leadership positions
- Help resolve disagreements fairly
We expect all projects to follow the Rust Foundation Code of Conduct, and to implement a Privacy Policy if they are handling Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
At present, the Rust Foundation can only accept projects that are able to sustain its own funding requirements. This means if funding is required, they have already secured financial support from external sources, or are in the process of doing so. The Rust Foundation is not able to provide funding for projects.
If you’ve read all the information there, you believe you meet the eligibility requirements, and you think the Rust Innovation Lab and your project would make a good match, then please fill out the application and/or send us a message at ril@rustfoundation.org to start a conversation.