Open Educational Resources Grant and Support Program

Western instructors, you can apply now for one or more of your 2024-25 courses.

The OER Grant and Support Program offers in-kind supports and up to $25,000 in instructor funding to integrate OER into teaching. The program is a partnership between Western Libraries, the Instructional Technology Resource Centre, Centre for Teaching and Learning, and Western Research’s Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team.

OER are educational materials — such as textbooks, videos, and test banks — that are openly licensed and freely available for anyone to use. OER can be tailored to the unique structure and context of a course. They can also reduce student financial barriers by removing the need to buy commercial materials.

$25,000 is available across three categories:

Category Available funds per grant What's required
Create $7,500 Create or develop a new open textbook or other open educational resource.
Adapt $5,000 Identify and customize an existing open textbook or other OER to better align with your course. This includes creating an updated or localized edition of an existing open textbook, or creating supporting materials such as test banks, slide decks, videos, or interactive media.
Adopt $1,000 Identify and use an existing open textbook or other OER for your course.

Grant recipients have access to in-kind supports from Western Libraries, the Instructional Technology Resource Centre, and the Centre for Teaching and Learning. Some in-kind supports require that co-curricular learning opportunities tie to one or more course or degree program milestones.

Applications are due by Monday, March 13, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Learn more and apply by visiting the Open Educational Resources Grant and Support Program webpage.

Questions?

Email our Research and Scholarly Communication team for assistance. 

For more information about the OER Grant and Support Program and application process, sign up for the information session scheduled for February 21, 2023 at 10:30 a.m.

Drop-in office hours to discuss project ideas, receive advice, and learn more or ask questions about open education will be hosted February 28 at 11 a.m. and March 10 at 2 p.m. Register to receive connection details (February 28 registration; March 10 registration).

Interested applicants that need help identifying OER to adopt or adapt can also attend the upcoming workshop about Finding and Evaluating OER on February 23, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.