The Rationale for the Grant

Affordable alternatives to the high cost of textbooks and the need to expand educational opportunities through Open Educational Resources are significant measures in eliminating barriers to student success and improving enrollment and retention.  The JWL OER Grant Initiative seeks to encourage, support, and incentivize OER adoption, adaptation, and creation through small grants to participating instructors.  Up to $5000 will be available for distribution to instructors to implement OER in their courses.

Three models exist:

• Adopt an existing open resource (open textbook and/or other OER course components such as homework assignments, lab manuals, or other supplementary materials).  Grant allocation: $1000
• Adapt existing resources (by mixing or revising) such as open textbooks and/or other OER course components such as homework assignments, lab manuals, or other supplementary materials.  Grant allocation: $1500
• Create a new open resource and other supplementary course materials(particularly for a course with an expensive textbook).  Grant allocation: $2500

Eligibility of applicants and activities eligible for funding

AU faculty, other full-time teaching positions, teams, departments/programs, and adjuncts may submit proposals for funding at the course and/or section level (i.e., all sections of a program of instruction or section/s under the applicant’s control).  Graduate teaching assistants can apply under the direction of faculty/staff.  Awards range from $1,000 to $2,500 as determined by mode (adopt, adapt, create) and the project’s needs.

The Application Process

Download the form below, complete it, and submit your application by sending int to the provided email.  The JWL OER Committee will evaluate completed submissions.  Awardees will be informed of the amount allocated to their projects.

JWL OER
Grant Application Form

Project Requirements

Awardees are expected to comply with several provisions designed to ensure the openness and availability of the funded projects and provide feedback to inform the assessment of the grant initiative.    Generally, awardees agree to the following conditions:

• Awardees will be required to assess their projects, share their experiences and report their findings to the JWL OER Working Group.  The findings should reflect on the experience of implementing OER and the outcomes when known.
• Provide finalized product/s for deposit in DigitalCommons, including editable files.
• Awardees adapting or creating will be required to openly license the resource created or adapted with a Creative Commons License and be willing to share it in an open education repository like OER Commons.
• Be willing to be featured on the JWL web page after the completion of the project and open to serving as a mentor for future awardees and/or providing educational or promotional support about the grant (interviews, articles, etc.) 

Support for OER Development Process

Support for grant development is available from the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship; the Center for Teaching & Learning can provide curricular design, integration, and assessment expertise; and the OER librarian at the JWL can help identify sources and examples of OER materials, serve as a resource for Creative Commons licensing, and provide copyright guidance. 

Library support will include the following:

• Online tools for adopting  and creating OER
• OER research guide
• Evaluating OER
• Workshops
• Accessibility tools and start kits
• Creative Commons Licensing
• Finding subject-specific OERs

Selection and Additional Criteria

• Projects that offer the highest potential savings to AU students (based on enrollment and current course material costs);
• Ability to adapt or produce a quality product and actively engage students in the learning process;
• Ability to adapt or produce a quality product that integrates faith and learning;
• Accessibility of resource/s implemented and/or delivered;
• Projects that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion;
• Sustainability of the resource beyond initial use; and
• Willingness and ability to apply an OER-compatible Creative Commons license to the finished product (if adapting or creating).

Timeline

Introduction to grant at Faculty Institute
Aug. 16, 2024

Call for proposals
Aug. 16, 2024

Deadline for submission
Oct. 21, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

Review of applications begins
Oct. 23, 2024

Awardees notified
Nov. 29, 2024

Final report and program evaluation
Fall semester implementation
Feb. 27, 2026

Spring semester implementation
June 29, 2026