OhioLINK OER Course Redesign Grants
Over and over, we have heard that two of the main barriers to converting to an Open Educational Resource (OER) are the lack of time and lack of funding necessary to explore open alternatives. To that end, OhioLINK Affordable Learning is continuing with our OER Course Redesign Grants.
What: OhioLINK Affordable Learning has dedicated funding to help faculty learn more about using openly-licensed or other affordable course content for their high-enrollment courses. With this funding, we are offering OER Course Redesign Grants.
Who: Any full-time or part-time faculty from OhioLINK member institutions interested in learning more about teaching with OER is eligible to apply. If your application is selected, you will receive a $650 stipend for participating once all the requirements have been met. We are offering up to 30 course redesign grants each semester depending on interest and number of applicants who meet the criteria.
When: The program will be held between November 2nd, 2026 and December 4th, 2026 and will require a commitment of approximately 4-8 hours of asynchronous work. It can be completed online, and will also require a synchronous Zoom discussion session.
Deadline to apply: October 2rd, 2026
Application is simple:
1) fill out a brief form (the form will be available starting September 8th)
2) submit the course syllabus for the course in which you are interested in using OER to Anna Bendo
3) have your department chair send an e-mail of support for your application to Anna Bendo.
How does the program work?
Apply by October 2nd. Complete and submit your application in 3 steps: fill out the form (form will be available starting September 8th). Submit the syllabus for the course in which you are interested in using an OER to Anna Bendo, and have your department chair/dean send an email of support to Anna Bendo.
If you are selected to participate, you will receive a $650 stipend for participating in the grant program once all the requirements have been completed.
An OhioLINK OER Librarian will review your syllabus and map suggested openly-licensed, affordable, or library-licensed content to syllabus topics. You can then use these suggestions to begin to explore open resources that could be a good fit for your course.
From November 2nd, 2026 to December 4th, 2026, participants will engage in an asynchronous Introduction to Open Educational Resources Course online. Participants will explore the basics of open education, review an open access or low-cost resource, learn about accessibility and artificial intelligence considerations related to OER, and reflect on advocating for affordable or open access course materials in the future. There are four modules of content, each of which should take 1-2 hours to complete.
As part of the training, each participant will:
- Attend at least one synchronous Zoom discussion session (out of 3 options). These normally last one hour.
- Review at least one openly-licensed, library-licensed, or low-cost resource in their discipline by December 4th, 2026).
- Complete a final project or report that illustrates what the participant has learned and outlining how they will take action to implement the use of the openly licensed content across all sections/semesters of the course (due January 22nd, 2027)
After the training, each participant will:
- Use at least one openly-licensed, library-licensed, or low-cost resource (required or optional) in a course they are teaching in Spring 2027, Summer 2027, or Fall 2027 OR create and use openly licensed ancillary materials (e.g., quiz questions, PowerPoint slides, etc.) for a course they are teaching in Spring 2027, Summer 2027, or Fall 2027.
- Be willing to present on a panel at the Ohio OpenCon conference in Spring 2027 and/or at a future OhioLINK open textbook workshop, or other institution, if approved.
- Provide OhioLINK Affordable Learning with a “testimonial” that shares the outcome from participating in the symposium and exploration of OER for your class.
OhioLINK Fall 2026 OER Course Redesign Grants Timeline:
- September 8th - Call for applications
- October 2nd - applications due (the form will be available starting September 8th)
- October 19th - award announcements made
- November 2nd - asynchronous class begins
- December 4th - asynchronous class ends
- January 22nd, 2027 - final requirements due
If you have any questions, please contact Anna Bendo.
