Open Educational Resources (OER)

Call for Proposals

We invite motivated faculty interested in innovative engagement with their course materials to submit ideas for funding. 

Proposals intended to achieve one of the following will be considered:

• Adoption of existing OER to replace the main textbook for a high enrollment course

• Adaptation of pre-existing OER, including local, updated, or ancillary materials

• Create and publish new OER from faculty-authored content

Awards of up to $1,500 will be given for proposals that implement adoption of existing OER materials. Awards of up to $2,500 will be given for proposals that adapt existing OER materials. Awards of up to $3,000 will be given for proposals supporting creation and publication of new OER materials to replace existing textbooks. Priority will be given to proposals that incorporate open pedagogy and pedagogical innovation, and demonstrate high-cost savings for students. 

OER materials produced as part of the UW Alternative Textbook grants will be archived in WyoScholar, the University's institutional repository managed by UW Libraries.

Grant proposals for implementation in Fall 2023 are due by March 31, 2023. There will be another call in Fall 2023 for proposals for Summer 2024 and Fall 2024.

Please note that there is a required pre-grant workshop, "OER 101," that all applicants must have attended prior to submitting an application.  This "OER 101" workshop will be on March 1, 2023 via Zoom and in person in Coe Library 302.

• Register for the OER 101 workshop

If you cannot make the workshop, you can schedule an OER grant consultation with Chad Hutchens, Chair of Digital Collections (chutchen@uwyo.edu), prior to applying.    

Proposals will be reviewed by the University's Alt-Textbook Grant Peer Review Committee. Grants will be awarded on the basis of potential savings to UW students, innovation of materials, overall impact (including sustainability), ability to succeed, and strength of application.