CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Google has made a $300,000 donation to the Oregon State University Open Source Lab, increasing its cumulative support of academia's premiere open source development and hosting operation to nearly $1.9 million.

The new funds will continue Google's support of the lab's effort to provide hosting services used by many of today's most recognized open source projects and communities.

Open source creates software licensing and distribution designed to be used and improved by developers around the world. Anyone can copy the source code and modify it.

"Google's global leadership in the open source community is unquestioned," said OSU President Ed Ray. "For more than nine years, OSU has benefited from Google's generous corporate philanthropy that allows our Open Source Lab to move forward its mission of supporting, through technology, many under-served populations around the world, while also creating new industries and products at home."

The lab offers students, faculty, and staff an open, diverse environment for development and collaboration, as well as a professional hosting environment for the open source community and software development services to industry.

"Oregon State's Open Source Lab provides world-class services that enable collaboration among millions of users globally," said Chris DiBona, Google's Open Source Programs manager. "Google is proud to continue its support of such an innovative program."

The latest contribution from Google is part of The Campaign for OSU, the university's first comprehensive fundraising campaign. Guided by OSU's strategic plan, the campaign has raised more than $825 million to provide opportunities for students, strengthen Oregon communities, and conduct research that changes the world.