The Open Grant Program provides funding and in-kind expertise to support KPU instructors engaging in open educational practices. This is most commonly done through the adoption, adaptation, or creation of open educational resources (OERs).
| OER GRANT | OER ADOPTION GRANT | UN SDG OPEN PEDAGOGY FELLOWSHIP |
|---|---|---|
Adapt or create an OER to support the needs of KPU students. Stream A: Receive up to $4,000 in project funding, up to $2,000 of which can be used for PD. Stream B: Receive a single course release plus up to $2,000 in project funding. | Replace a paid textbook with an open resource and receive up to $500. | Work in interdisciplinary teams across institutions to create renewable assignments and receive up to $500. |
| OER Grant Application | OER Adoption Grant Application | Learn More About The Fellowship |
OER Grant
The OER Grant supports the adaptation or creation of open resources. The intent is to distribute funds to maximize direct benefits to a wide range of student learners and across disciplines identified as lacking suitable OER for KPU courses.
Grant recipients receive support from KPU's Open Publishing Suite (OPUS), which includes assistance with identifying suitable OER to adapt/remix, choosing a Creative Commons license, Pressbooks training, and the publication process. Grant recipients may also request assistance from the Teaching & Learning Commons to assist with instructional design and integrating the OER into Moodle.
Eligibility
Regular instructors and support staff with instructional responsibilities (e.g., lab instructors, etc.) are eligible to apply for an OER Grant as Project Leads for individual or project groups. Non-regular instructors and students, as well as external partners, may be a part of a project group.
Funding
Changes to the budget must be approved by OPUS and put in writing.
Funds are available until the end of the fiscal year and may be used for the following purposes:
OER Grant Stream A
OER Grant Stream A applicants can budget for up to $4,000, up to $2,000 of which may be used for professional development.
Project Funds
- Hiring OER Grant Project Student Assistants - Generic job description is already in the system
- Calculate student assistant costs using our OER Grant Project Student Assistant Pay Calculator [Excel]
- Costs associated with copyediting and proofreading - OPUS has an existing contract with a copyeditor. Using an alternative service will need to go through the procurement process
- Honoraria for external collaborators or contributors - We cannot provide honoraria to KPU faculty, staff, or students
- Artwork and graphic design - Cover images use a template that is branded by KPU Marketing
- Supporting project-related events - e.g. workshop facilitator honoraria, catering
- Conference registration - Covering presentations you are giving about your project
Professional Development Funds
- Conference fees - covers travel, accommodation, and registration for conferences related to professional development
*contact the Open Education Strategist before you book anything* - Materials - e.g. books
- Workshops or courses
- Membership fees
OER Grant Stream B
Successful applicants will receive a single course section release during a teaching semester. OER Grant Stream B applicants can budget for up to $2,000 for project funding.
Time Release
Stream B supports larger and more intensive OER adaptation/creation projects that require dedicated time and effort to complete. We cannot award a time release for an instructor's non-teaching semester.
Project Funds
- Costs associated with copyediting and proofreading - OPUS has an existing contract with a copyeditor. Using an alternative service will need to go through the procurement process
- Honoraria for external collaborators or contributors - We cannot provide honoraria to KPU faculty, staff, or students
- Artwork and graphic design - Cover images use a template that is branded by KPU Marketing
- Supporting project-related events - e.g. workshop facilitator honoraria, catering
- Conference registration fees - Covering presentations you are giving about your project
Application Cycles
There are two OER Grant Application Cycles:
To be determined.
Note: We cannot award a time release for an instructor's non-teaching semester.
Before you begin filling out the application form, inform the Dean of your department that they will be contacted by the Open Education Working Group to endorse your application. All parts of your application will be shared with the Dean of your department.
Prepare Your Application
The OER Grant Application form requires that you think about and plan your proposed project before you apply. Responses are not saved until you completely submit your application, so you may find it helpful to prepare your answers in advance using the following document:
Download OER Grant Application Preparation [Word]
The OER Grant Application form requires you to upload proposed budgets and timelines for your project using the following templates:
Download OER Grant Application Budget Template [Excel]
Download OER Grant Application Timeline Template [Excel]
Note: You may need to edit the Timeline dates to match your project.
If your project includes hiring a student assistant, use the following pay calculator to determine how much to budget:
Download OER Grant Project Student Assistant Pay Calculator [Excel]
Adjudication
Applications for an OER Grant are adjudicated by the Open Education Working Group and facilitated by Open Education Strategists. During this time, applicants may be contacted by an Open Education Strategist to clarify points or answer questions from the working group.
Adjudication Criteria
Strong proposals demonstrate that an applicant has,
- Conducted a search for existing OER and demonstrates a plan for how and why existing OER can or cannot be harnessed within the scope of the proposed project,
- Considered the number of students and courses impacted by the displacement of commercial textbooks or other educational resources at KPU, and
- Identified department-level interest in adopting the proposed deliverable and considered its potential reuse by other institutions in BC, Canada, and elsewhere.
In addition to the required criteria, applicants should consider,
- Applying principles of open pedagogy,
- Sustainability and ongoing review/updates,
- Ancillary materials such as question banks, slides, and instructor manuals, and
- Inclusion of diverse and representative content, and principles of decolonization, and indigenization.
Expectations of OER Grant Recipients
- Publication of the project deliverable
- With an open (Creative Commons) license - all text, images, and other media used in the OER include clear references and attributions and be covered by an open license, be in the public domain, or have the expressed consent of the copyright holder
- In an open, editable format - e.g., Pressbooks
- Stored in an open repository - e.g. KORA
- Acknowledging support received from the Open Grant Program - including OPUS and T&L Commons support if applicable
- OERs created using Pressbooks must
- if it is a textbook, be organized into chapters with chapter learning outcomes and learning activities
- be proofread or copyedited
- meet BCcampus' Checklist for Accessibility - OPUS will conduct an Accessibility Review and assist with edits before publication
- include the following pages in the front matter (using the linked templates)
- Participation in OER workshops or seminars during the project
- Sharing of experiences with the KPU teaching and learning community
- Completion of a summary survey at the end of the project
Hiring Student Assistants
All student assistant positions must go through the full hiring process. This can take anywhere between 6-8 weeks, so please ensure that you have considered this timeline when drafting your application. To help speed up the process, we have created a standard job description for an OER Grant Project Student Assistant that has been pre-approved and is in the Taleo Job Library. Open Education Strategists will guide you through the process.
Funding for student assistants is not covered by Stream B.
OER Adoption Grant
The OER Adoption Grant supports faculty and staff who replace paid teaching resources with open resources for instruction. Replacing a paid textbook with an open resource is a small and easy way to make a big difference for students.
Eligibility
Regular instructors and support staff with instructional responsibilities (e.g., lab instructors, etc.) are eligible to apply for an OER Adoption Grant. The OER Adoption Grant is given once per instructor-resource adoption.
Funding
OER Adoption Grants are $500 awards that can be used for professional development.
Funds are available until the end of the fiscal year and may be used for the following purposes:
- Conference fees - partially cover travel, accommodation, and registration costs
*contact the Open Education Strategist to confirm* - Materials - e.g. books
- Workshops or courses
- Membership fees
Application Deadline
OER Adoption Grant Applications are open year-round and can be applied for within 2 semesters of adopting an open resource.
Adjudication
Applications for an OER Adoption Grant are adjudicated by the Open Education Working Group and facilitated by Open Education Strategists.
Adjudication Criteria
When limited funding is available, priority will go to applicants whose adoption of an open resource had a greater impact on students.
UN SDG Open Pedagogy Fellowship
The UN SDG Open Pedagogy Fellowship supports faculty to join interdisciplinary and inter-institutional groups in order to create renewable assignments that focus on advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Eligibility
Regular instructors and support staff with instructional responsibilities (e.g., lab instructors, etc.) are eligible to apply for the UN SDG Open Pedagogy Fellowship.
Funding
UN SDG Open Pedagogy Fellows are provided with $500 to use for professional development.
Funds are available until the end of the fiscal year and may be used for the following purposes:
- Conference fees - partially cover travel, accommodation, and registration costs
*contact the Open Education Strategist to confirm* - Materials - e.g. books
- Workshops or courses
- Membership fees
Application Deadline
UN SDG Open Pedagogy Fellowship Applications are open March 1-31.
Adjudication
Applications for the UN SDG Open Pedagogy Fellowship are adjudicated by Open Education Strategists and the AVP Teaching and Learning.
Adjudication Criteria
When limited funding is available, priority will go to applicants whose courses have stronger ties to the UN SDGs.
Learn More About The Fellowship