All proposals should be written in language understandable to a general academic audience because the selection committee is composed of faculty and staff from a broad range of disciplines. Please avoid undefined or disciplinary jargon. Additionally, proposals without a complete cover page and letter of support will be returned without review.
1. Cover Page (1 – 2 pages)
The first page of the proposal must include the following information:
Name of applicant, rank, department, UNM email address, complete campus address, campus phone number, number of years at UNM, number and date of any previous OER grants
Title and number of the course for which you intend to integrate OER
Frequency in which the course is offered, including sections per term and terms per year. Please include the frequency in which you teach the course.
What is the enrollment cap for the course? How many students have enrolled in the course in the past four semesters?
100-word summary of the project
Total amount requested for the OER grant
Current cost of course materials for students in the course; anticipated cost of course materials if awarded the OER grant.
Description of other funding sources or in-kind support for the project
Name of Department Administrator or other contact person who will be responsible for overseeing and distributing funds.
2. Letter of Support (1 page)
Letter or email from the department chair or senior faculty member in support of the project. The letter should explain the importance of the proposed project to curriculum and instruction in the department.
Graduate students who apply for awards will need to have a faculty member who agrees to be the supervisor of their project. The faculty supervisor can be mentioned in the letter.
3. Project Overview (4 pages maximum)
In four single-spaced pages or fewer, and avoiding technical terminology that may not be understood by a general academic audience, please include the following:
For which category of OER grant are you applying? Explain how you will leverage the funds to create the greatest positive impact for UNM students.
What preliminary research have you done investigating available OER materials?
If creating or adapting texts, explain what gaps are present in the available OER materials, and assess your own ability to create OER that will fill those gaps.
What steps will you take to ensure that each of your course’s outcomes are met through the use of open access materials?
How will you measure and evaluate your project’s impact on your students? How will you assess the impact of your OER use?
How will your project support collaboration with others teaching the course, or courses that follow/precede the course? How do you plan to share the results of your project with your department and/or other stakeholders?
What are your technical needs?
How will you ensure the accessibility of your OER for diverse learners? How will your OER create a more inclusive learning experience for your students?
Will your project rely on students to have access to any particular technology or materials that may inadvertently increase the cost of their education?
How do you plan to sustain your project after the OER Grant Project funding has ended? This may include regular updates insure the currency and relevance of examples or capture advances in the subject.
4. Realistic, Detailed Budget and Timeline (two pages maximum)
Any in-kind budget items or alternative budget sources should be included in the budget; they will strengthen a proposal. State whether you will accept partial funding. Include a realistic timeline for your project. Please include justifications for each budget item for which you are requesting funding. Budgets should reflect current rates of pay for faculty and/or graduate students.
OER Grant Program @ UNM by Jennifer Jordan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Faculty can refer to the following Faculty Guide for more details on adopting, adapting, and creating OER in addition to chapters on open and anti-racist pedagogy.