Open Educational Resources (OER) Grants at Oregon State University

• A low-risk, fully supported environment to explore open textbooks.
• Increased confidence in evaluating and selecting high-quality educational materials.
• A strong professional foundation for a future, higher-tier Affordable Learning Grant application.

The OERU will provide a $500 department-to-department transfer to Oregon State faculty members who thoroughly review up to three existing OER with the goal of replacing a current commercial textbook.

1. Submit a grant application. Review the application questions in advance here.
2. Attend a one-on-one kickoff meeting with OERU Director Stefanie Buck.
3. Spend six to eight weeks researching open educational resources and attend one to three additional instructional support sessions with the OERU director.
4. At the end of the academic term, hand in a formal evaluation rubric for at least three potential OER along with a one-page assessment evaluating the viability of those texts for use in your course.

Note: The $500 department-to-department transfer is guaranteed whether or not you ultimately select OER for your course.

• OER restrictions: This grant only covers the research and review of fully accessible, openly licensed educational resources. It does not cover other types of free course materials unless they are explicitly paired with one or more open educational resources.
• Replacement threshold: Faculty must attempt to replace at least 50% of the mandatory course materials required in their course with openly licensed materials.
• Required consultations: A total of two to four meetings with the director of the OERU are required to complete the grant cycle.
• Deliverable compliance: If the final evaluation rubric and one-page viability assessment are not delivered, the faculty member's department will not be eligible to receive the project funds.
• Fund disbursements: Project funds will be issued even if you are unable to find a suitable OER for your course. Because all funding is executed via a department-to-department transfer, applicants should consult their department head or director regarding how these funds apply locally.

• Measurable cost savings for students taking your course.
• Improved student engagement and immediate classroom access.
• The ability to tailor educational content precisely to your course curriculum and students.
• An opportunity to contribute openly shared resources used by institutions beyond Oregon State.

• Serve high-enrollment courses containing 200 or more students.
• Replace commercial materials that currently cost students more than $40.
• Demonstrate strong potential to improve student success metrics, such as lowering DFW rates and increasing retention.
• Are actively implemented across multiple course sections or by multiple instructors.
• Reduce total course material costs to a low-cost or no-cost designation.

Total funding ranges from $3,000 to $15,000, scaling directly based on your project scope and student course enrollment:

The timeline varies based on your project scope, ranging from one academic term to two full years. Read frequently asked questions about the time commitment »

Full proposal guidelines, application templates and project timelines are hosted securely in Box. Access all Affordable Learning Grant resources »