Acceptable Use Policy

Last updated: June 22, 2026

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) governs the use of all services, infrastructure, and community resources provided by the Open Science & Technology Research Network (OSRN). By accessing or using any OSRN resource - including compute infrastructure, storage, networking, communication channels, mailing lists, and the OSRN website - you agree to abide by this policy.

OSRN is a free, open research network. There are no membership fees, no institutional requirements, and no application process. In return, we ask that you use OSRN resources responsibly and in service of open science and technology research.

2. Scope

This AUP applies to:

  • All OSRN-managed compute, storage, and network infrastructure
  • All OSRN communication channels (Discord, Slack, Matrix, mailing lists)
  • All OSRN websites, documentation, and services
  • All working group resources, repositories, and meeting spaces
  • All users, regardless of affiliation or membership status

Infrastructure provided through OSRN’s partnership with the National Research Platform (NRP) is governed by this AUP in addition to any applicable NRP policies.

3. Permitted Use

OSRN resources are provided for non-profit research and education in science and technology. Permitted uses include:

Research and Development. Conducting scientific or engineering research, running experiments, developing software, testing protocols, and producing scholarly artifacts (papers, datasets, software, hardware designs).

Education and Training. Teaching, learning, workshops, tutorials, and classroom activities at non-profit educational institutions.

Collaboration. Participating in OSRN working groups, attending meetings, contributing to mailing list discussions, sharing data and code with collaborators.

Publication and Dissemination. Publishing research outputs, preprints, technical reports, and open datasets through OSRN channels.

Community Participation. Engaging in OSRN governance, proposing working groups, serving as an Area Director, attending community events.

4. Prohibited Use

The following activities are strictly prohibited on any OSRN resource:

4.1 Permanent Exclusions

Per the OSRN Charter, no OSRN resource may be used for:

  • Mass surveillance systems (facial recognition at scale, non-consensual location tracking, population monitoring)
  • Advertising technology and behavioral profiling
  • Autonomous lethal weapons systems research or development

4.2 General Prohibitions

  • Illegal activity. Any use that violates applicable local, state, federal, or international law
  • For-profit commercial use. Using OSRN resources as production infrastructure for a commercial product or service, or for paid consulting engagements, without prior written authorization from the OSRN Steering Group. Academic-industry research collaborations and startup activities directly related to open research outputs are permitted.
  • Cryptocurrency mining. Mining or farming cryptocurrency of any kind
  • Resource abuse. Deliberately consuming disproportionate resources, running denial-of-service attacks, or interfering with other users’ work
  • Credential sharing. Sharing access credentials, tokens, or accounts with unauthorized parties
  • Circumvention. Attempting to bypass security controls, access controls, resource limits, or administrative policies
  • Malicious software. Distributing malware, ransomware, spyware, or any software designed to harm systems or data
  • Spam and harassment. Sending unsolicited bulk communications, harassing other users, or using OSRN channels for non-research advertising
  • Intellectual property violation. Using OSRN resources to store or distribute content that infringes on copyrights, patents, or trademarks
  • Impersonation. Misrepresenting your identity, affiliation, or credentials

5. Data Handling

5.1 Protected Data

OSRN infrastructure is not approved for storing or processing:

  • HIPAA-protected health information
  • Personally Identifiable Information (PII) subject to statutory protection
  • Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)
  • FERPA-protected student education records
  • Export-controlled technical data (ITAR/EAR)
  • Classified or otherwise legally restricted information

If your research involves any of these categories, you must arrange separate, compliant infrastructure. OSRN cannot accept liability for protected data placed on its systems.

5.2 Research Data

You retain ownership of your research data. OSRN does not claim ownership of user data, code, or results. We encourage open sharing, but the decision to share is yours.

5.3 Logging and Monitoring

OSRN logs system and network activity for operational, security, and capacity planning purposes. Log data may include:

  • User identifiers and access timestamps
  • Resource utilization metrics (CPU, memory, storage, network)
  • Service access patterns

Log data is retained for operational and security purposes and is purged on a rolling basis. Retention periods vary by data type: access logs are retained for a minimum of 90 days and not more than 18 months; resource utilization metrics may be retained indefinitely in aggregate form for capacity planning. Log data may be shared with partner institutions for operational coordination. Log data will not be sold or used for advertising purposes.

6. Security Responsibilities

6.1 Your Responsibilities

  • Protect your credentials. Do not share passwords, API tokens, or SSH keys
  • Report suspected security incidents to security@OSTRN.org within 24 hours of discovery
  • Keep contact information current
  • Use strong, unique passwords for all OSRN services
  • Secure any data you store on OSRN systems with appropriate access controls
  • Do not attempt to probe, scan, or test the security of OSRN systems without prior written authorization

6.2 OSRN Responsibilities

  • Maintain reasonable security measures to protect the platform
  • Investigate reported security incidents promptly
  • Notify affected users of confirmed data breaches
  • Apply security patches and updates in a timely manner

7. Resource Usage and Fair Access

OSRN resources are shared among the research community. To ensure fair access:

  • Storage. Users are expected to clean up data that is no longer needed for active research. Data inactive for more than 180 days may be archived or removed with notice.
  • Compute. Long-running jobs should use appropriate scheduling mechanisms. Opportunistic (preemptible) resources are available but not guaranteed.
  • GPU resources. GPU access is prioritized for workloads that demonstrably benefit from GPU acceleration. Idle GPU allocations may be reclaimed.
  • Network. Excessive bandwidth consumption that degrades service for other users may be throttled.

Working groups and Area Directors may establish additional resource guidelines specific to their domains.

8. Content and Conduct

All OSRN community spaces are governed by the OSRN Code of Conduct. In summary:

  • Treat others with respect. Critique ideas, not people
  • Give credit for prior work. Cite sources
  • Disclose conflicts of interest when relevant
  • Do not harass, intimidate, or discriminate against any participant

Content posted to OSRN channels should relate to science and technology research. Off-topic commercial promotion, political campaigning, and unrelated solicitation are not permitted.

9. Intellectual Property

OSRN does not claim ownership of research outputs produced using OSRN resources. You retain your intellectual property rights.

Working groups may adopt specific IP policies for collaborative work (e.g., open-source licensing requirements for code produced within a WG). Check your working group’s charter for specific provisions.

OSRN-produced documents (charters, standards-track publications, informational documents) are published under open licenses as specified in the document process.

10. Citation and Acknowledgment

If your research uses OSRN resources, please acknowledge OSRN in publications, presentations, and other outputs. Suggested acknowledgment:

This work utilized resources of the Open Science & Technology Research Network (OSRN), supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Where applicable, cite the relevant NSF award number(s) provided to your working group or institution.

11. Enforcement

11.1 Violations

Violations of this AUP may result in:

  1. Warning. A written notice describing the violation and required corrective action
  2. Suspension. Temporary loss of access to specific resources or all OSRN services
  3. Termination. Permanent removal of access to all OSRN resources
  4. Referral. Reporting to institutional administrators, funding agencies, or law enforcement as appropriate

11.2 Process

  • Suspected violations are reviewed by the OSRN Steering Group or their designated representatives
  • Users will be notified of alleged violations and given an opportunity to respond (except in cases requiring immediate action to protect the platform)
  • Decisions may be appealed to the full OSRN Steering Group within 14 days
  • The Steering Group’s decision on appeal is final

11.3 Emergency Action

OSRN administrators may temporarily suspend access without prior notice if necessary to protect the integrity, security, or availability of OSRN systems or to prevent imminent harm. Users will be notified as soon as practicable following such action.

12. Disclaimer of Warranty

OSRN services are provided on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis. OSRN makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding:

  • Uninterrupted or error-free service
  • Data integrity or preservation
  • Fitness for a particular research purpose
  • Security against unauthorized access

Users are responsible for maintaining their own backups of critical data. OSRN is not liable for data loss, service interruptions, or damages arising from the use of OSRN resources.

13. Changes to This Policy

The OSRN Steering Group may amend this AUP at any time. Material changes will be announced through OSRN communication channels at least 30 days before taking effect. Continued use of OSRN resources after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact

  • AUP questions: hello@OSTRN.org
  • Security incidents: security@OSTRN.org
  • Governance concerns: osrn-discuss@OSTRN.org

OSRN | Open Science and Technology Research Network | Founded 2026