Shared Infrastructure Fund Specification

Home / Shared Infrastructure Fund / Shared Infrastructure Fund Specification

Shared Infrastructure Fund

Where Science Infrastructure Begins.

Specification

The Shared Infrastructure Fund is an open source platform for transparently funding, developing, operating, and overseeing physical scientific infrastructure.

The platform is designed to support the funding and development of laboratories, research facilities, scientific equipment, AI compute infrastructure, data infrastructure, fabrication facilities, environmental monitoring systems, and other shared infrastructure that supports scientific research and discovery.

The platform combines transparent fundraising, financial accountability, Proof-of-Expense verification, milestone-based funding, public documentation, asset tracking, governance, compliance support, and proportional surplus distribution.

The system shall use a modular architecture in which essential capabilities are provided by core modules and specialized functionality can be added through optional plugin modules.

Mission

The Shared Infrastructure Fund exists to make scientific infrastructure funding more transparent, accountable, accessible, and collaborative.

The platform shall provide a verifiable system in which contributors can see how funds are raised, how funds are spent, what infrastructure is acquired, which milestones have been completed, and how operating revenue and surplus are managed.

Core Principles

Transparency

All project financial activity shall be documented and available for public inspection subject to applicable privacy, security, legal, and regulatory requirements.

Transparency shall include:

Contributions
Funding commitments
Fund releases
Expenses
Invoices
Receipts
Purchase orders
Contracts
Vendor information
Approvals
Deliveries
Infrastructure assets
Operating revenue
Reserves
Surplus calculations
Distributions
Audits
Project milestones
Project status

Accountability

Every material financial action shall have an identifiable record showing who authorized the action, what was authorized, the amount involved, the purpose of the transaction, and the supporting documentation.

The system shall maintain an auditable history of project activity.

Verification

Financial records shall be supported by documentation and verification procedures appropriate to the transaction.

The platform shall distinguish between:

Proposed expenses
Submitted expenses
Pending expenses
Verified expenses
Rejected expenses
Disputed expenses
Paid expenses
Reconciled expenses

Shared Infrastructure

The platform shall prioritize infrastructure that can provide ongoing scientific, educational, research, technological, or public benefit.

Legal Compliance

The platform shall support compliance with applicable United States federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

The platform shall not assume that a contribution is legally a donation, investment, membership interest, security, or other financial instrument. The applicable legal structure and regulatory requirements shall be established for each funding model and project.

Core Modules

Project Registry Module

The Project Registry Module shall manage the complete lifecycle of infrastructure projects.

The module shall provide:

Project creation
Project identification
Project descriptions
Project objectives
Project locations
Project operators
Project ownership information
Project funding targets
Project budgets
Project timelines
Project milestones
Project status
Project documentation
Project completion records

Projects shall have persistent identifiers that allow financial, governance, documentation, asset, and milestone records to be associated with the correct project.

Proposal and Review Module

The Proposal and Review Module shall provide a standardized process for submitting infrastructure projects for consideration.

The module shall support:

Project proposals
Technical feasibility information
Infrastructure requirements
Capital requirements
Operating requirements
Risk assessments
Environmental considerations
Legal considerations
Regulatory considerations
Scientific justification
Public benefit statements
Review records
Approval decisions
Rejection decisions
Revision requests

Proposal decisions shall be documented.

Fundraising Module

The Fundraising Module shall manage project funding campaigns.

The module shall support:

Funding targets
Funding periods
Contribution records
Contributor records
Funding commitments
Funding status
Funding progress
Project-specific funding
Funding pools
Campaign reporting
Funding acknowledgments
Applicable contribution restrictions

The module shall distinguish between different legally recognized funding mechanisms.

Financial Ledger Module

The Financial Ledger Module shall maintain a complete financial record for each project.

The ledger shall record:

Transaction identifier
Project identifier
Transaction type
Amount
Currency
Date
Counterparty
Purpose
Funding source
Approval status
Verification status
Supporting documentation
Payment status
Reconciliation status

Financial records shall be immutable after finalization except through documented correction procedures that preserve the original record and provide an audit trail.

Proof-of-Expense Module

The Proof-of-Expense Module shall provide mandatory documentation and verification for project expenses.

The module shall require appropriate supporting documentation before an expense can be classified as verified.

Supported documentation may include:

Invoices
Receipts
Purchase orders
Vendor contracts
Service agreements
Quotes
Shipping records
Delivery confirmations
Installation records
Payment confirmations
Other legally and operationally appropriate records

Each expense shall receive a unique identifier.

Each supporting document shall be associated with the corresponding expense record.

The system shall record:

Who submitted the expense
When it was submitted
The amount requested
The vendor
The purpose
Supporting documentation
Verification results
Approval decisions
Payment information
Reconciliation status

No expense shall be classified as verified without satisfying the applicable verification requirements.

Expense Verification Module

The Expense Verification Module shall evaluate submitted expenses before funds are released or expenses are recognized as verified.

Verification may include:

Document completeness checks
Vendor verification
Amount verification
Duplicate invoice detection
Budget comparison
Contract comparison
Purchase order comparison
Payment verification
Delivery verification
Asset verification
Conflict-of-interest checks
Anomaly detection

The system shall flag transactions requiring additional review.

Payment Authorization Module

The Payment Authorization Module shall control the transition from an approved expense to an authorized payment.

The module shall enforce project-specific approval requirements.

Approval requirements may depend on:

Expense amount
Expense category
Project stage
Funding source
Legal structure
Governance rules
Risk classification

Payment authorization records shall be retained as part of the public audit record subject to applicable legal restrictions.

Milestone Module

The Milestone Module shall divide infrastructure projects into measurable stages.

Milestones may include:

Site acquisition
Permitting
Design completion
Construction commencement
Construction completion
Equipment procurement
Equipment installation
Infrastructure commissioning
Safety certification
Operational launch

Each milestone shall include defined completion criteria.

Funding associated with a milestone shall not be released until the required verification process has been completed.

Proof-of-Milestone Module

The Proof-of-Milestone Module shall verify that project milestones have actually been completed.

Evidence may include:

Inspection records
Photographic documentation
Construction records
Certificates
Equipment delivery records
Installation records
Third-party verification
Regulatory approvals
Operational testing
Other appropriate evidence

Milestone verification shall be documented and retained.

Asset Registry Module

The Asset Registry Module shall maintain records of infrastructure purchased or created using project funds.

Asset records shall include, when applicable:

Asset identifier
Asset type
Description
Manufacturer
Model
Serial number
Acquisition date
Acquisition cost
Vendor
Location
Custodian
Ownership status
Warranty information
Maintenance records
Disposal records

Major assets shall be linked to their corresponding expenses and supporting documentation.

Public Documentation Module

The Public Documentation Module shall provide public access to project records.

Documentation may include:

Project proposals
Budgets
Financial reports
Expense records
Supporting documentation
Contracts
Milestone evidence
Asset records
Governance decisions
Audit reports
Project updates
Completion reports

Documents that cannot legally be made public shall be identified as restricted and handled according to applicable requirements.

Public Transparency Module

The Public Transparency Module shall provide dashboards that allow the public and authorized participants to monitor project activity.

Dashboards may display:

Total funding
Funding progress
Verified expenses
Pending expenses
Total revenue
Operating costs
Reserves
Current surplus
Milestone status
Asset inventory
Distribution calculations
Audit status

Financial totals shall be derived from the platform’s verified records.

Governance Module

The Governance Module shall support documented decision-making for participating projects.

The module shall support:

Governance proposals
Voting
Approval thresholds
Quorum requirements
Voting records
Conflict-of-interest disclosures
Governance decisions
Delegated authority
Emergency procedures
Governance history

Governance rules shall be defined for each project and funding structure.

Contributor Module

The Contributor Module shall maintain records of contributions and participation.

The module shall support:

Contributor accounts
Contribution records
Contribution percentages
Project participation
Governance eligibility
Distribution eligibility
Statements
Contribution history

The platform shall apply applicable identity verification, reporting, privacy, and compliance requirements.

Revenue Module

The Revenue Module shall track revenue generated by funded infrastructure.

Revenue sources may include:

Laboratory usage
Equipment usage
Research services
Compute services
Facility rentals
Data services
Training
Memberships
Other permitted operating revenue

Revenue shall be recorded separately from contributed capital.

Reserve Module

The Reserve Module shall track funds retained for ongoing infrastructure operations and risk management.

Reserve categories may include:

Maintenance reserves
Equipment replacement reserves
Insurance reserves
Emergency reserves
Operating reserves
Regulatory reserves

Reserve requirements shall be defined by project policy, legal structure, and applicable law.

Surplus Distribution Module

The Surplus Distribution Module shall calculate and document eligible surplus distributions.

The system shall calculate surplus using verified financial records and applicable project rules.

Distribution calculations shall account for:

Verified revenue
Verified operating expenses
Required reserves
Approved liabilities
Applicable taxes
Distribution restrictions
Eligible contributor percentages

Where legally permitted, surplus distributions shall be allocated according to the applicable contributor percentage or other legally established participation formula.

The system shall provide a complete record of each distribution calculation.

Audit Module

The Audit Module shall support internal and independent financial review.

The module shall provide auditors with access to appropriate records, including:

Financial transactions
Expense documentation
Approval records
Payment records
Milestone records
Asset records
Revenue records
Distribution records
Governance records
Corrections
Disputes

Audit findings shall be documented and tracked through resolution.

Conflict-of-Interest Module

The Conflict-of-Interest Module shall require disclosure of relevant relationships between project participants and vendors.

The module shall support:

Disclosure submissions
Vendor relationship records
Related-party transaction identification
Recusal records
Approval restrictions
Public disclosure where legally appropriate

Related-party transactions shall receive enhanced review.

Compliance Module

The Compliance Module shall provide tools for managing applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

The module shall support:

Regulatory classification
Jurisdiction tracking
Required disclosures
Investor or contributor eligibility requirements
Financial reporting requirements
Tax reporting requirements
Record retention
Compliance reviews
Regulatory filings
Legal document management

The platform shall support legal compliance but shall not represent itself as a substitute for qualified legal, accounting, tax, or regulatory advice.

Security and Access Module

The Security and Access Module shall protect financial, personal, operational, and infrastructure information.

The module shall support:

Role-based access control
Authentication
Authorization
Audit logs
Secure document handling
Encryption where appropriate
Access reviews
Administrative controls
Incident reporting

Public transparency shall not require publication of information that would create unreasonable privacy, security, safety, or legal risks.

Audit Trail Module

The Audit Trail Module shall maintain a chronological record of material system actions.

The audit trail shall record:

User or system actor
Action
Date and time
Affected record
Previous state where applicable
New state where applicable
Authorization information
Related documentation

Audit records shall be protected against unauthorized alteration.

Dispute and Investigation Module

The Dispute and Investigation Module shall provide mechanisms for reporting and reviewing suspected irregularities.

The module shall support:

Expense disputes
Vendor disputes
Documentation challenges
Financial discrepancies
Conflict-of-interest reports
Misuse allegations
Investigation records
Resolution records
Corrective actions

Investigations shall preserve relevant evidence and maintain an appropriate chain of custody.

Reporting Module

The Reporting Module shall generate standardized financial and operational reports.

Reports may include:

Funding reports
Expense reports
Project status reports
Milestone reports
Asset reports
Revenue reports
Reserve reports
Surplus reports
Distribution reports
Audit reports
Compliance reports

Reports shall identify the period covered and the data sources used.

Notification Module

The Notification Module shall notify authorized participants of material project events.

Notifications may include:

Funding milestones
Expense submissions
Expense approvals
Expense disputes
Payment releases
Milestone approvals
Governance votes
Audit findings
Compliance deadlines
Distribution events
Project completion

Optional Plugin Modules

Optional plugins shall extend the platform without making specialized functionality mandatory for every deployment.

Scientific Laboratory Plugin

The Scientific Laboratory Plugin may provide:

Laboratory capacity management
Laboratory reservations
Equipment scheduling
Safety documentation
Laboratory access management
Consumables tracking
Facility utilization reporting

AI Compute Infrastructure Plugin

The AI Compute Infrastructure Plugin may provide:

Compute capacity management
GPU inventory
Compute reservations
Usage accounting
Research allocation
Energy tracking
Compute cost reporting

Data Infrastructure Plugin

The Data Infrastructure Plugin may provide:

Dataset registries
Data access controls
Storage allocation
Data provenance
Data usage records
Data licensing
Data retention policies

Scientific Equipment Plugin

The Scientific Equipment Plugin may provide:

Equipment catalogs
Equipment reservations
Maintenance schedules
Calibration records
Usage tracking
Equipment lifecycle management

Environmental Infrastructure Plugin

The Environmental Infrastructure Plugin may provide:

Environmental sensor networks
Field station management
Monitoring data
Equipment deployment records
Maintenance tracking
Public environmental reporting

Fabrication Facility Plugin

The Fabrication Facility Plugin may provide:

Fabrication equipment inventories
Machine reservations
Materials tracking
Production records
Maintenance records
Facility usage accounting

Cooperative Governance Plugin

The Cooperative Governance Plugin may provide:

Membership management
Member voting
Cooperative participation records
Member distributions
Board governance
Cooperative-specific reporting

Crowdfunding Compliance Plugin

The Crowdfunding Compliance Plugin may provide tools for deployments using applicable crowdfunding frameworks.

Features may include:

Offering documentation
Contributor eligibility
Contribution limits
Required disclosures
Transaction records
Regulatory reporting
Investor communications

Regulatory Reporting Plugin

The Regulatory Reporting Plugin may provide jurisdiction-specific reporting capabilities.

The plugin architecture shall allow compliance functionality to be updated independently as applicable laws and regulations change.

Third-Party Audit Plugin

The Third-Party Audit Plugin may provide controlled access for independent auditors.

Features may include:

Auditor accounts
Audit scopes
Evidence requests
Review workflows
Findings
Corrective actions
Audit reports

Blockchain Verification Plugin

The Blockchain Verification Plugin may optionally publish cryptographic hashes or other verification records to an external blockchain.

Blockchain functionality shall supplement the platform’s internal audit records and shall not be required for basic operation.

Payment Integration Plugin

Payment plugins may connect the platform to supported payment providers or financial institutions.

Payment integrations shall not bypass the platform’s approval, verification, compliance, or audit requirements.

Identity Verification Plugin

Identity verification plugins may provide integration with external identity verification services where legally required.

The plugin shall minimize collection and retention of personal information.

Geographic Infrastructure Plugin

The Geographic Infrastructure Plugin may provide:

Project mapping
Facility locations
Infrastructure coverage
Regional funding analysis
Geographic access information

Funding Lifecycle

The standard project lifecycle shall include:

Proposal
Review
Approval
Fundraising
Funding verification
Project initiation
Milestone execution
Proof-of-Expense submission
Expense verification
Payment authorization
Milestone verification
Infrastructure commissioning
Operations
Revenue tracking
Reserve management
Surplus calculation
Distribution where legally permitted
Audit
Project completion or continued operation

Proof-of-Expense Requirements

Every expense shall have sufficient evidence to establish:

What was purchased
Why it was purchased
Who supplied it
How much it cost
Which project received the benefit
Who approved it
Whether it was delivered
Whether payment was made
Whether the transaction was properly recorded

The platform shall prevent an expense from being represented as verified when required documentation is missing or the verification process has not been completed.

Proof-of-Milestone Requirements

Every funded milestone shall have defined completion criteria before funding is released.

Verification records shall identify:

Milestone
Required completion criteria
Evidence submitted
Reviewer
Review date
Decision
Funding released
Remaining funding

Financial Integrity

The platform shall maintain separation between:

Contributions
Loans
Grants
Investment capital
Operating revenue
Restricted funds
Reserves
Expenses
Distributions

Financial classifications shall reflect the applicable legal and accounting structure.

Public Records

The platform shall make project records publicly available whenever legally and operationally appropriate.

Public records shall be structured so that users can trace:

Contribution → Funding Pool → Project → Milestone → Expense → Proof → Payment → Asset → Revenue → Surplus → Distribution

Privacy and Restricted Information

Transparency shall be balanced against legal and legitimate privacy and security requirements.

The platform shall not publicly expose:

Sensitive personal information
Financial account credentials
Authentication credentials
Sensitive security information
Protected research information
Information restricted by law or contract

When documentation must be restricted, the platform shall retain an auditable record of the restriction and, where appropriate, provide a public description of the reason.

Error Correction

Financial and governance records shall not be silently altered.

Corrections shall:

Preserve the original record
Identify the correction
Identify who made the correction
Record the date
State the reason
Maintain the relationship between the original and corrected records

Specification Branding License (SBL)

Standard

Fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant system
Copyleft enforced for network deployments
Required attribution:
- Roxanne Ardary
- https://www.roxanneardary.com/

Optional

Specification Branding License (SBL)
- Attribution-free commercial deployment
- Pricing based on scale, usage, and deployment scope
- https://roxanneardary.com/shared-infrastructure-fund/

License & Notice Requirements

Shared Infrastructure Fund is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).
By contributing to this project, you agree that your contributions will also be released under this license.

Please note the following:

All contributions must comply with the AGPL-3.0+ terms.
Under Section 7 of the license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works must preserve attribution to:
Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.
Shared Infrastructure Fund specifications are free to use with attribution. A Specification Branding License can be negotiated upon request.
The project’s notice.md file tracks attribution requirements and contributor acknowledgments.
Any update that adds new contributors or modifies attribution should also update notice.md.
When submitting a pull request, ensure that any new files maintain the attribution headers where applicable.
Network-deployed versions of this software must also remain fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant, including exposure of source code modifications when applicable under the license.

For full legal details, please refer to the AGPL-3.0+ license and the project’s notice.md file.

Notice – Shared Infrastructure Fund

Attribution Requirement: Under Section 7 of the AGPL 3.0+ license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works, including network-deployed versions of this project, must provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.

Contributors

This file tracks contributors and their specific contributions to the project.

Roxanne Ardary, roxanneardary.com – March 15, 2026
Created the repository for Shared Infrastructure Fund. Developed the original concept, governance framework, and platform design.
[Add other contributors here] – [Date]
[Describe contribution in one sentence]

License – Shared Infrastructure Fund

This repository is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).

Key Points:

You are free to use, modify, and distribute the code.
All redistributions, forks, and derivative works or network-deployed versions must also be licensed under AGPL-3.0+ and provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com as required under Section 7 of the license.
The software is provided “as is,” without warranty of any kind.

For the full license text, see GNU AGPL-3.0 License.