Grant description:

The OER grant program is supported by the RSC Libraries,  in conjunction with the Center for Teaching and Learning and Faculty Development Committee. It is intended to reduce the financial burden of textbooks and course materials for students by promoting faculty members’ adoption of free and openly accessible resources, or OER. The adoption of freely accessible, open educational resources lowers the cost of education and ensures that all students have equal access to content on the first day of class.

Funding: 

Two types of grants are awarded at the levels outlined below:

• Level 1, $500 award: Locate, evaluate, and adopt an existing Open Educational Resource for your course(s). 

• Level 2, $750 award:  Create an Open Educational Resource or adapt, update, or combine existing OER into a new resource.  Proposals that include plans to develop OER resources would qualify. Developing OER resources includes things like combining or supplementing existing OER resources.

Timeline for 2026-27 OER Grant: 

• Thursday, April 2, 2026: Deadline for submitting grant applications using this form.

• April 2026: Grant applications will be reviewed by the Faculty Development Committee using the criteria listed in this rubric. Grant awards will then be approved by the Provost.

• May 1, 2026: Grant recipients will be notified.

• Stipends are distributed in two phases: Half of the award the onset of Summer and half at the end of the semester where the open resource was used.

Expectations for OER grant recipients: 

• Grant funds will compensate the grantee for the time and effort required to replace commercial textbooks or other course materials with low-cost or no-cost resources. Funds may be used to create a new open educational resource, or to adopt existing OER “as is” or with modifications. Grant funds cannot be used to purchase commercial textbooks, ancillaries, or other resources. 

• Adoption of OER should be completed in time for the course to be taught in the 2026-27 academic year.

• Grantees will be asked to complete a brief assessment of the grant program at the conclusion of each academic year to share progress in using open resources. Recipients may also be asked to share their experience using OER with RSC faculty members through CTL events, May College, or other opportunities.

2026 OER grant recipients: 

Marisa Beeble

Margaret Bruce

Andrea Dievendorf

Tracy Egan-Lasek

Mercedes Fabian

Maureen Gokey

Kate Kagan

Shealeen Meaney 

Ali Schaeffing

Sara Schuman

Michelle Soule

2025 OER grant recipients: 

Michelle Napierski-Prancl

Tracy Gilbert

Sandra Penny

Tonya Moutray

Leah Rico

Sara Schuman

Julie McIntyre

Ali Schaeffing

2024 recipient:

David Baecker

2023 recipients: 

Karen Balter 

Marisa Beeble 

Ken Howard 

Susan Jenks 

2022 recipients:

Debra Collette

Kelli Tamvada

Jill Ensminger

Marisa Beeble

Deb Lawrence

Nathanael Green

Victoria Greenwood

Gabrielle Rounds

Julie McIntyre

Maureen Gokey

Tracy Egan-Lasek

Jennifer Morrill

Sara Schuman

Ali Schaeffing

David Baecker

Natasha Holmes

2021 recipients:

Bobbi Gabrenya, Interdisciplinary Studies

Kristi LaMonica, Biology and Health Sciences

Dayna Maniccia, Interdisciplinary Studies 

Tonya Moutray, Interdisciplinary Studies 

Becky Bernhardt, Occupational Therapy 

Emilly Obuya, Chemistry 

Shealeen Meaney, Interdisciplinary Studies 

Thomas Gray, Chemistry and Biochemistry