Grant Overview

CT OER Grant Program

The CT OER Grant Program supports Connecticut higher education institutions' efforts to increase access, affordability, and achievement for students through the incorporation of OER.  This grant program focuses on OER opportunities in "high impact" areas - courses with high enrollment and high textbook costs for which high-quality OER already exist.  

High Impact Areas

The CT OER Coordinating Council surveyed Connecticut's higher education institutions to determine the course areas statewide that had the highest enrollments and highest associated textbook costs. The following lists the course areas that were identified (with associated CIP Code designation). 

Award Categories

1. Adoption – Adopt an existing open textbook or open course content with little to no changes made to the content. Applications should detail the work involved in the proposed OER adoption and the resulting benefits to students - $1,000.

2. Supplemental – Develop ancillaries for currently adopted OER such as quiz question banks, lecture slides, or lab manuals. Applications should include information on the need for the proposed supplements and the resulting benefits to students - $1,250 (for applicants requesting non-stipend funds, provide a detailed budget). 

3. Impact - Carry out a large-scale collaborative OER project - award amounts are based on the scope and impacts of the project (provide a detailed budget).  

4. Review - Select an OER and then write a review that addresses the appropriateness and feasibility of adoption - $500.  

* Awards may be subject to standard payroll deductions.

Eligibility

The grant program is open to faculty from Connecticut institutions of higher education.

The awards are targeted for "high-impact" courses (as defined above). Proposals may be submitted in other disciplines, provided the course(s) meet the definition of high impact relative to their institution.

Eligible applications must demonstrate that students enrolled in the high-impact course(s) have the potential to realize direct savings as a result of the current or future use of the OER.

Awardees must teach the OER-enabled course(s) during the grant period. 

Applicants will be required to attest (within the application) that they have received permission from their institution, and that they are not already receiving compensation (grants, release, sabbatical) for the proposed work. Any related funding should complement but not duplicate funding for work proposed in this grant.

Requirements

• Implement proposed work within the specified course section(s).

• Teach the OER-enabled section(s) of course(s).

• Openly license any new or derivative works, preferably “CC BY” if allowed.

• Ensure that OER content meets accessibility standards.

• Report the OER adoption to local bookstore in accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) reporting requirements.

• Implement a student survey within the specified OER course section(s) to gain student perspective (see Qualitative Analysis section for recommendations).

• Submit a grant report.

To view the full CT OER Grant requirements, visit CT OER Grant Requirements.

Documentation

• CT OER Grant Program – Colleague Review Rubric