The 2024-2025 OER Instructor Grant offers financial assistance and professional support to NKU educators who adopt or adapt open educational resources (OER) for an NKU course. This grant is meant to support NKU instructors achieve pedagogical innovation while increasing student access to course materials.
Co-sponsored by Steely Library and the Office of the Provost, the program is in its third cycle and has supported the conversion of 30 courses to OER and saved students nearly $100,000 in course material costs.
All Northern Kentucky University employees with teaching responsibilities are eligible and encouraged to apply. Applications must be focused on adopting or adapting existing OER for a credit bearing NKU course to be taught in fall 2024, spring 2025, or summer 2025.
Award amount: $500
Locate, evaluate, and adopt an OER for an NKU course.
Award amount: $1,000
Locate, evaluate, and adapt (through localization, revision, or remixing) OER for an NKU course.
Applications must be submitted through the online form and application questions can be reviewed prior to submission (a link to download the question is available at the top of the page). It is highly recommended you meet with Steely Library’s OER Librarian prior to applying. 30-minute Zoom meetings are available, and a booking can be made.
Review Process
Grant applications are reviewed by an OER Grant Review group consisting of NKU employees and the OER Librarian. The application rubric is available to review.
Selection of awardees is based on projects that:
In line with Steely Library’s student-first mission, additional consideration will be given to proposals that support or include diverse perspectives, increase the accessibility of openly licensed digital content, or incorporate open pedagogies.
Grant funding is distributed after all requirements are met and before the conclusion of fiscal year 2024-2025. No funding for this cycle will be distributed before 7/1/2024 or after 6/30/2025. Once requirements are met as agreed upon in the OER Instructor Grant Agreement Form, the full funding amount will be distributed as supplemental pay via your department, directly to your paycheck. Funding can only be distributed to current employees of NKU.
The call for applications is open starting 7/9/24 on a running basis. Award notifications will be sent as applications are submitted. Initial consultations between successful applicants and the OER Librarian to finalize a project timeline should be set up by the awardee soon after acceptance. Awardees must complete all grant requirements before 6/30/2025 and the course within which the OER is used must be taught in fall 2024, spring 2025, or summer 2025.
Using OER in the classroom creates direct cost savings for students. During the OER Instructor Grant cycle for 2022-2023, NKU instructors saved students over $50,000 in less than one year! Most recent savings numbers are available below.
Total OER instructor grant project awardees: 18
OER instructor grant projects completed: 16
Stipend amount awarded: $9,000
Students enrolled in impacted courses: 573
Estimated student savings**: $55,498
Estimated savings per student: $97
*Last updated May 2023
**Student savings are determined for each course by multiplying course enrollment by the purchase price of the traditional textbook previously used.