OER Development Grant

OER Development Grant is sponsored by Northwestern University Libraries. The Affordable Instructional Resources (AIR) initiative offers grant funding to faculty to adopt, adapt, or develop Open Educational Resources (OER) for undergraduate courses. OER are free, online teaching materials that can be copied, used, adapted, and remixed.

OER Faculty Grant: AIR | Affordable Instructional Resources - Northwestern University Open Educational Resources Applications now closed. Check back in Fall 2026 for updates on the next cycle. Applications for 2027 will open in Fall 2026.

See the Application Materials section for detailed information. If you have any question, or if you'd like to discuss a future project idea, contact library@northwestern. edu The Affordable Instructional Resources (AIR) initiative invites faculty to apply for grant funding to adopt, adapt, or develop open educational resources (OER) for undergraduate courses.

OER are teaching materials that are free, distributed online, and allow anyone to copy, use, adapt, and remix the materials for free. OER are commonly used as alternatives to expensive textbooks by providing students with high quality course readings at no cost.

Funded by the Office of the Provost and University Libraries, these grants are intended to fund the work involved in finding, creating, using, and sharing OER as replacements for required commercial textbooks. No experience with OER is necessary to apply. Grant levels and corresponding expectations Locate, evaluate, and adopt an existing OER for use in your course Use our Find Existing OER page to begin browsing options.

Recipients at this level who are using a book that is indexed in the Open Textbook Library (OTL) must write and submit a review of the book using the OTL Review Criteria . Adapt, update, or combine existing OER into a new resource. Recipients at this level will need to identify existing OER to adapt or combine.

Use our Find Existing OER page to begin browsing options. This level is also appropriate for former recipients who want to make additions or updates to their previously published OER. Create an original OER for your course.

This should be a substantial original creation, such as a textbook, video series, or supplementary and homework materials to be used for a quarter or semester-length course. All g rant recipients receive individualized support from librarians on finding, using, and publishing OER. See below for a detailed list of the type of support offered.

Grant funds can be taken as a stipend, or used to pay for aspects of OER development, such as student assistants, recording equipment, or travel. Standard taxes and benefit deductions apply. Selected grantees will be required to complete the following: Attend a launch meeting in late spring 2026 to connect with fellow grantees, learn the basics of OER, and discuss project ideas.

Meet with the Open Education Librarian for an individualized OER consultation to discuss a timeline and work plan. Check in with the Open Education Librarian quarterly or as needed during the grant period to report progress and request support. Share a standard assessment form with students following the first quarter in which the new course materials are used; responses will be shared with the AIR team and the faculty recipients.

Complete a feedback form regarding your experience with the OER Faculty Grant Program. Participate in at least one speaking engagement or interview to share your experience of creating an open resource with the Northwestern community.

For recipients of OER adaptation/creation grants: Publish any new or derivative OER under a Creative Commons license that allows modifications Publish OER created through the grant in an open, editable format Completed projects are expected to be implemented in a course offered by Spring 2029. Prior to submitting a proposal, faculty can contact a librarian at library@northwestern. edu to discuss project ideas.

Consultations to discuss publishing platform options Finding existing OER to adapt and build upon Formatting support, training, and hosting on Northwestern's publishing platform Open Books (powered by Pressbooks) Working with AccessibleNU to ensure accessibility Assigning a Creative Commons license, DOI, and/or ISBN Creating exports of the OER in multiple formats (html web book, PDF, and EPUB) Sharing your OER and making it discoverable via OER repositories Maintaining persistent access and storage via Arch , Northwestern’s institutional repository Full-time, benefits-eligible faculty, tenure-line or instructional, with continuing appointment through the grant period, who are creating materials for an undergradate course .

Postdocs or adjunct faculty (including SPS faculty) who are interested in participating in the program may apply with an eligible sponsor, such as a department chair, faculty colleague, or administrator. Levels 1 and 2: Use or Adapt OER We will consider one application per course.

Up to two faculty members may submit a combined application for an OER creation project that covers multiple courses, in which case each faculty member may be eligible for the full grant amount ($1,000 or $2,500). Applications include submission of an online form, along with a brief project narrative (300 word limit), where we ask you to address the following: 1) Project summary: Which OER are you adpoting or remixing?

2) Impact: What affordability details (current material costs, usual enrollment, course frequency), student learning goals, and any disciplinary gaps this OER will fill? 3) Accessibility and licensing: How will you consider or incorporate accessible features into OER deliverables (alt text, headings, captions/transcripts, contrast, keyboard navigation) and your intended Creative Commons license?

Learn more about the Creative Commons Licenses here. 4) Workplan summary: Please provide a short paragraph that points to your uploaded two-year timeline and highlights the first two milestones and your target first-use term.

(For the next cycle, plan to implement no later than Winter 2028, consistent with the program’s two-year expectation) 5) Budget and justification: How funds will be used to achieve your goals (e.g., student assistants, accessibility services, media production, modest software tied to creation)? Level 3: Create Original OER We will consider one application per course.

Up to two faculty members may submit a combined application for an OER creation project that covers multiple courses, in which case each faculty member may be eligible for a $5,000 grant.

Applications include submission of an online form, along with a brief project narrative (500 word limit), where we ask you to address the following: 1) Project summary: What you will create (format, scope, audience) and why is OER the right approach for your course? 2) Impact: What affordability details (current material costs, usual enrollment, course frequency), student learning goals, and any disciplinary gaps this OER will fill?

3) Content and scope: Please provide details about expected OER deliverables and their format (e.g., Open Books/Pressbooks text with ancillaries, video set, slide decks, problem sets, test bank), estimated length or number of modules, your level of interest/familiarity with the platform you are aiming to work with, and any adapted third-party content with attribution plan.

4) Accessibility and licensing: How will you consider or incorporate accessible features into OER deliverables (alt text, headings, captions/transcripts, contrast, keyboard navigation) and your intended Creative Commons license? Learn more about the Creative Commons Licenses here (https://creativecommons. org/).

5) Workplan summary: Please provide a short paragraph that points to your uploaded two-year timeline and highlights the first two milestones and your target first-use term.

(For the next cycle, plan to implement no later than Winter 2028, consistent with the program’s two-year expectation) 6) Budget and justification: How funds will be used to achieve your goals (e.g., student assistants, accessibility services, media production, modest software tied to creation)? Project narratives will be accepted in PDF format via the application form.

To see a list of grant recipients and OER-creation projects from past years, visit our grant recipients page. All Applicants: Two Year Timeline Upload a one-page timeline that lists a target quarter for OER implementation. Use NU quarters (F, W, Sp, Su) and year.

Ideally, first classroom use no later than Spring 2029 .

Please provide target dates for the following: Kickoff and scope finalized 90% draft + accessibility pass completed Publish on Open Books and deposit in Arch Dissemination plan shared Project proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Potential cost savings: The proposal includes information on current material costs, usual or expected student enrollment, and the frequency of the course offering Objectives: The proposal’s objectives are clearly articulated and well-planned.

The rationale for approaching the project is clear, and the applicants have reflected on the work necessary to make it a success Impact : The proposal articulates how the OER will make a pedagogical impact in the course and/or how it will fill a disciplinary gap in open content Feasibility : The proposal’s timeline is feasible and aligns with the work required to complete the project in a timely manner.

Priority will be given to projects expected to be used in a course by the 2026-2027 academic year. The application period for the 2026 grants has closed . Applications will be evaluated by a selection committee comprised of members from the AIR team, a former grant recipient, and a learning engineer.

Applicants will be notified in late January 2026 if their proposal has been selected for funding. Project work is expected to begin in summer 2026. Grant criteria and application requirements were adapted from Iowa State University's Miller OER Grant Program.