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OER Toolkit : Identify OER Funding Opportunities
Identify OER Funding Opportunities: Sustainability Section 2 of 3
This module will help faculty and library staff explore ways to fund OER projects at their colleges.
Funding
Areas to seek funding
In the very early days of OER, a handful of foundations such as the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation - opens in a new window led the way in funding OER projects across the globe. Today, funding for OER remains limited, although more diversified. Individuals and colleges may explore a range of sources to support their OER work, including those listed below.
- International Funds
For example, the Shuttleworth Foundation Fellowship Program- opens in a new window provides funding for individuals working on OER and open initiatives, globally. - Provincial Funds
Check out, for example, eCampusOntario’s Open Content Development Fund - opens in a new window . - Local Research Funds
Start by asking your college about existing research grants, and whether the development of OER may be funded as part of those research grants. - Other Local Funds
Check with your college to see if funds, refreshments, or time off are offered for OER projects and events, such as sprints to create new OER.
Attribution:
Introductory text a derivative of content within Starting an OER Initiative - opens in a new window by Open Education Consortium, - opens in a new window licensed under CC BY 4.0 - opens in a new window
examples of ways tp collaborate
Below are examples of ways that faculty may collaborate with library staff and others to seek OER funding.
- Ask library staff if they are aware of grant/funding opportunities, or if they could research new funding opportunities
- Team up with library staff or other faculty to develop grant proposals for OER
- Team up with colleagues to approach your department or local faculty development program about supporting sprints or professional learning meetings around OER on your campus
Tools
- How to Collaboratively Develop Open-Source Textbooks - PDF - opens in a new windowRead this guide from South Africa's Free High School Science Texts project on how to recruit and work with peer volunteers to create open textbooks, with limited or no funding.
Tapping Multiple Funding Streams
Learn about how one U.S. college successfully wove components of OER into its nationally funded grants, and tapped philanthropic organizations and internal campus budgets to enable OER.
Building OER Sustainability at Your College with CCCOER excerpt Video transcript - RTFVideo from Open Education Consortium, - opens in a new window licensed under CC BY 3.0 - opens in a new window
Additional Options
In addition to financial support, consider ways to leverage existing projects or collaborative opportunities as a means to support your OER work:
- Faculty projects may be available (or required) for new faculty at your institution, and can serve as an opportunity to develop OER. Check, for example, the College Educator Development Program - opens in a new window about possible project opportunities.
- You may be able to request time in your Standard Workload Formula for the development of OER.
- Consider organizing a development "sprint", as a way to collaboratively create OER with limited or no funding. See the Collaborating Module in this toolkit for more information on organizing sprints. See also the guide in the tools section of this module, below.