Faculty Zero-Cost Course Materials Grants

Grant Program Description

Applications due March 3, 2025: Faculty Zero-Cost Course Materials Grants Application Form

Academic Affairs, the Center for Teaching Excellence, Munday Library, and the Office of Instructional Technology of St. Edward’s University invite faculty to apply for Faculty Zero-Cost Course Materials Grants. These  grants support faculty interested in converting classes away from commercial texts to zero-cost solutions like Open Educational Resources (OER), library resources, or other university-licensed resources. OER address affordability concerns and can be adapted to be more inclusive, meeting pedagogical and identity representation needs.

Grants are available at multiple levels for faculty who adapt ($1000) or adopt ($500) zero-cost resources, or who review ($150) an OER textbook that could be taught in more than one section or course. Grants will support both full-time (contracted) and adjunct faculty members as funding allows. These grants recognize the labor involved in finding and integrating new course materials and encourage faculty to explore high-quality alternatives to expensive course materials. 

Faculty will receive training and support in finding and using OER. Program staff can help faculty determine what is permissible when considering the use of licensed materials. Faculty who adopt or adapt will have an assigned instructional designer to integrate materials into Canvas and create supplementary materials using generative AI. Faculty who adapt will receive consultation and support for sharing their adapted OER.

All grant recipients will attend a kickoff meeting and training, and will have an interim check-in with support staff from Munday Library or Instructional Technology. 

Faculty who review will submit a written review to an OER repository. 

Faculty who adopt and adapt will assess the impact of the new materials on their course, submit a brief final report reflecting on their experience, share experiences with the community, e.g., in Teaching Symposium presentation, and be listed as OER champions on the OER website. 

We invite faculty interested in creating an OER from scratch to reach out to Rebecca Davis or Sasha West to discuss their idea so that we can explore funding options. 

Frequently Asked Questions

See our FAQ page for answers to the questions we have already received.

How to Apply

Applications Should be Submitted in this Google Form, Faculty Zero-Cost Course Materials Grants Application Form. Be sure you are logged into your St. Edward's google account. 

Expected Application Timeline:

• Applications due: March 3

• Review by I-OER team: March 10

• Decisions announced: March 14 

• Training: April 2, 1 - 2 pm or TBD based on cohort

Application Form Preview

Grant Level:

• Adapt

• Adopt

• Review

Applicant Information:

• Name, title, and email address 

• Department or program and School

• Department backing (Is your department or program in favor of you taking on this work to adopt zero-cost course materials?)

• Department Chair/Program Director and Dean: Be sure you have notified your chair or program director and dean of your intention to apply for this grant and clarified the area where it counts in your self-evaluation.

Course Information:

• Course name and number

• Whether it is a new or existing course

• Gen Ed or major requirement?

• Estimated or actual enrollment 

• Frequency with which the course is offered

• Current textbook title(s), ISBNs, and costs

• Implementation semester for the new OER

Goals & Rationale (250 words or less)

• Why are you pursuing affordable and inclusive resources for your course and what do you hope to accomplish? 

Course Material Needs & Wishes  (150 words or less)

• Describe the ideal materials for your course in terms of content, impact, format, supplementary materials, etc.

Concerns or challenges  (100 words or less)

• Do you have any concerns or foresee any challenges with this project?

A copy of the current course syllabus  (upload)

The Review Process

A limited number of grants will be awarded each year depending on funding availability and application quality. Each application will be evaluated on the strength of the following areas. Sections of the application are listed in parentheses after each criterion:

• Impact and Cost Savings (Course Information and Goals & Rationale)

• Quality and Feasibility (Goals & Rationale, Course Material Needs & Wishes, and Concerns or Challenges)

• Faculty role (Applicant Information; priority will be given to full time faculty members or adjunct faculty with departmental backing)

The I-OER team will review applications and make recommendations for the selection of grants.  The reviewers follow an established review practice:

• Copies of the applications are circulated for review.

• Reviewers read each application and rank them, adhering closely to the application criteria.

• Reviewers then meet and hold an in-depth discussion of the top-ranked applications, leading to a final consensus decision based on both the scoring and the discussion.

Spring 2025 Grant Recipients

🎉 16 Grants Awarded! Meet the Spring 2025 Faculty Advancing Zero-Cost Course Materials