OpenCPU is part of the (post) doctoral research on embedded scientific computing from Jeroen Ooms at the UCLA Department of Statistics. Advisers/committee members include Mark Hansen (Columbia School of Journalism), Jan de Leeuw (UCLA Statistics), Deborah Estrin (Cornell Tech), Mark Handcock (UCLA Statistics) and Sanjog Misra (Anderson School of Management).
The research focuses on domain specific challenges related to integrating scientific computing into the next generation of systems and applications. Below some reading material that could be of interest to anyone who wishes to build such software (with or without OpenCPU).