OER Development Program: Grants

As a result of the Student Union’s advocacy efforts and support from the PEI Provincial Government, an Open Educational Resource (OER) Development Program provides funds for the creation, adaptation, adoption, and review of open education resources through 4 types of grants:

• Open Textbook Grant: up to $6000
  • This grant supports the development of a new open textbook on a topic that is currently not covered by an existing open textbook.
• Open Textbook Adaptation Grant: up to $4,000
  • This grant supports the adaptation of one or more open textbooks to create a new version or edition of an open textbook. This may include, but is not limited to, using chapters from multiple open texts to create a new open textbook, or creating a Canadian edition of an existing open textbook.
• Supplementary Resources Grant: up to $2,000
  • This grant supports the creation of ancillary materials for existing open textbooks, including, but not limited to test banks, slide decks, or interactive media, etc. for an open textbook or other open education resource.

Appplication & Forms

The 2022 funding period will prioritize applicaitons that support first year courses as they impact the highest number of students, but all applications will be reviewed and considered. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 25, 2022, with work expected to begin during Spring or Summer. 

• OER Development Grant Application Form [Google Form]
  • Printable copy of grant applicaiton for planning purposes only [PDF] 
  • Budget Template [Word]
  • Timeline Template [Word]
• Honorarium for the Peer Review of an Open Textbook Application Form [Google Form]
• Final Report Form [Word]

Eligibility

• Anyone providing instruction in a credit bearing course at UPEI may apply.
  • Team members may be from multiple institutions, but at least one team member must be a UPEI instructor at any level. 
• Applicants may apply as an individual or jointly as a course team.
• Applicants who are not tenured or on probationary contracts are eligible as sole applicants for grants that are proposed for completion during their current period of employment, and are eligible to be part of team grants where at least one member of the team holds a contract that at least meets the duration of the project.

Requirements

• Agreement to release the final product, including source materials, with a Creative Commons license (CC-BY would be preferred which lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation).
• A commitment to use of the product in a credit-bearing course to be offered at UPEI.
• Follow best practices for accessibility of content by a diverse student population.
• Submit a final report after completion of the grant (form provided above).

Selection Process

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• The extent to which applicants include curation and customization of open textbooks that will be freely and openly shared throughout and beyond UPEI;
• Their potential impact on student experience in the form of high-quality materials, maximum access, open and innovative pedagogy, and cost savings to students;
• Projects that impact the most students, either with larger class size or multiple sections. The intent of the program is to distribute funds to maximize direct benefit to a wide range of student learners and inquiry across a diversity of disciplines;
• The inclusion of plans to re-use open educational resources in courses in subsequent semesters;
• Description of how you will measure success (e.g. improved access to curriculum, new partnerships, number of adoptions, estimate of money saved by students as a result, etc.);
• Development of a coherent project plan and timeline; and
• Accessible in the Library’s Pressbook site or on another open platform. 

Past Grant Recipients and Projects

Some open textbooks are available on UPEI's Pressbooks platform. They can be viewed at https://pressbooks.library.upei.ca/catalog/.