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OER Toolkit

Funding

Areas to seek funding

In the very early days of OER, a handful of foundations such as the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation led the way in funding OER projects across the globe. Today, funding for OER remains limited, although more diversified. Individuals and post-secondary institutions may explore a range of sources to support their OER work, including those listed below.

  • International FundsFor example, the Shuttleworth Foundation Fellowship Program provides funding for individuals working on OER and open initiatives, globally.
  • Provincial FundsCheck out, for example, eCampusOntario’s Open Content Development Fund and its initiative that pays faculty to review open textbooks.
  • Local Research FundsStart by asking your university about existing research grants, and whether the development of OER may be funded as part of those research grants.
  • Other Local FundsCheck with your university to see if funds, refreshments, or time off are offered for OER projects and events, such as sprints to create new OER.

Attribution:

Introductory text a derivative of content within Open Education Consortium licensed under CC BY 4.0.

examples of ways tp collaborate

Below are examples of ways that faculty may collaborate with library staff and others to seek OER funding.

  • Ask library staff if they are aware of grant/funding opportunities, or if they could research new funding opportunities
  • Team up with library staff or other faculty to develop grant proposals for OER
  • Team up with colleagues to approach your department or local faculty development program about supporting sprints or professional learning meetings around OER on your campus

Tapping Multiple Funding Streams

Learn about how one U.S. college successfully wove components of OER into its nationally funded grants, and tapped philanthropic organizations and internal campus budgets to enable OER. You can also download the Building OER Sustainability at Your College with CCCOER excerpt video transcript.

Video from Open Education Consortium licensed under CC BY 3.0.

Additional Options

In addition to financial support, consider ways to leverage existing projects or collaborative opportunities as a means to support your OER work:

  • Faculty projects may be available (or required) for new faculty at your institution, and can serve as an opportunity to develop OER. Check, for example, the College Educator Development Program  about possible project opportunities.
  • You may be able to request time in your Standard Workload Formula for the development of OER.
  • Consider organizing a development "sprint", as a way to collaboratively create OER with limited or no funding. See the Collaborating Module in this toolkit for more information on organizing sprints. See also the guide in the tools section of this module, below.

Tools

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