Library News & Events

Faculty members who attend an UNE OER Workshop are invited to apply for a $300 stipend to review open textbooks in an OER repository, such as the Open Textbook Library (OTL). The goal is to dispel misconceptions about the quality of open textbooks and encourage their adoption. Ten $300 stipends will be available.

Grant Requirements

• Attend an OER workshop.
• Submit application by October 15, 2024
• Post textbook review by December 15, 2024

Mini-grant stipends will be disbursed upon publication of review.

These mini-grants aim to encourage faculty members to adopt, modify, and/or create Open Educational Resources (OER) for their courses. Totaling $10,500 per year, the goal is to promote textbook affordability, improve access to educational materials, and foster a culture of open sharing and collaboration within the academic community.

Grants are available for:

Adoption

$500 to $1000 awards for those who adopt existing OER in your course(s).

Modification

$600 to $1,200 awards to revise or remix existing OER for your course through adding new content of modification or existing OER.

Creation

$500 to $2,000 awards to create OER materials ranging from ancillaries, to materials to complement existing OER, to creating new OER.

The review committee considers several factors when determining the amount awarded, such as the modification team’s composition, the extent of the modification, project costs, the number of students affected, perceived gaps in existing materials, and other criteria specified in the grant application.

Note: The mini-grant amounts and categories are subject to review and adjustment based on the availability of funds and program effectiveness, and input from review committee. 

Grant Requirements

• Attend an OER Adoption Workshop.
• Have the Dean, School, or Program Director sign the application form to indicate support.
• Share work with a wider audience.

If adopting:

Commit to using OER materials for the course for the next two years.

Report the adoption of OER to the bookstore.

If adopting or modifying:

Teach at least one section using OER with an open license instead of copyrighted materials.

If creating:

Use an open license for created materials and ensure ADA compliance.

Faculty may apply multiple times through the three-year grant cycle to build upon prior work.

Application Process

• Submit an application form by October 30, 2024
• Proposals will be reviewed and approved by the UNE OER Steering Committee.
• Review Rubric

Grant recipients will be announced December 1, 2024

A call for proposals will be issued for academic year 2025/26 to UNE faculty interested in conducting research to evaluate the effectiveness of OER. This research will inform recommendations to the UNE Provost for the future direction of OER initiatives at the institution. This grant is budgeted for $5,000. Stay tuned for more details in Spring of 2025.