12-18-2020, 01:08 PM
Dear Colleagues,
We are excited to announce that our Request for Proposals for the next round of VIVA Open Course Grants (formerly Course Redesign Grants) is officially open! Applications are due February 23, 2021, and award notification will take place on May 14, 2020.
VIVA Open Course Grants are designed to empower Virginia faculty with the resources and time they need to design or update courses to include open, no cost, or library materials. Open Course Grant recipients are awarded $2,000 - $30,000 to adopt, adapt, or create a resource and pilot them in a course by spring, 2024. The recipients of the 2020 Open Adopt Grants—$2,000 honoraria to adopt a pre-existing resource—were notified yesterday, and those who did not receive funding were encouraged to revise their application and apply for an Open Course Grant.
Faculty members at any VIVA institution, full or part-time, may apply. Proposals may involve one person or teams that include: teaching faculty, librarians, instructional designers, subject matter experts, editors, graphic designers, or others as needed. Multi-institutional teams are particularly encouraged.
More information, including the full Request for Proposals and application instructions are available at https://vivalib.org/va/open/grants/course. A list of past grant recipients can also be found on that page.
Webinars will be held at the following times, and will include a general introduction to the grants, the application process, and a Q&A:
• Thursday, January 14, 2021, 10:00 am - 11:00 am; Register here: https://vivalib.libcal.com/event/7335779
• Monday, February 8, 2021, 9:30 am - 10:30 am; Register here: https://vivalib.libcal.com/event/7335790
Successful applications will be selected on the basis of:
• Potential for student savings, including class enrollment and existing resource costs
• Use of Open Educational Resources (freely available and free to be modified)
• Frequency of course offering, with a preference for high-enrollment, required courses, and/or courses that are part of the SCHEV Passport or Transfer Virginia Programs
• Impact of the project on open education, such as the development of high quality resources in areas for which no other open content is currently available
• Impact on educational equity and outcomes in traditionally underserved communities
• Preference for statewide reach through multi-institutional efforts
• Commitment to contnue offering the course for future years
• Agreement to the terms of the grant and required activities
*VIVA is funded by the Virginia General Assembly and VIVA member institutions, and is sponsored by the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV).
For faculty developing a syllabus for a new course or simply updating a syllabus for a new semester, we hope that these grants offer an opportunity to look to open and no-cost course materials to improve student engagement and course outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to contact VIVA at vivaopen@gmu.edu with questions, to talk through project ideas, or for feedback on application drafts.
We look forward to your questions and your proposals!
Stephanie Westcott
Stephanie Westcott, Ph.D.
VIVA Open and Sustainable Learning Coordinator
George Mason University
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
she/her/hers
swestcot@gmu.edu
We are excited to announce that our Request for Proposals for the next round of VIVA Open Course Grants (formerly Course Redesign Grants) is officially open! Applications are due February 23, 2021, and award notification will take place on May 14, 2020.
VIVA Open Course Grants are designed to empower Virginia faculty with the resources and time they need to design or update courses to include open, no cost, or library materials. Open Course Grant recipients are awarded $2,000 - $30,000 to adopt, adapt, or create a resource and pilot them in a course by spring, 2024. The recipients of the 2020 Open Adopt Grants—$2,000 honoraria to adopt a pre-existing resource—were notified yesterday, and those who did not receive funding were encouraged to revise their application and apply for an Open Course Grant.
Faculty members at any VIVA institution, full or part-time, may apply. Proposals may involve one person or teams that include: teaching faculty, librarians, instructional designers, subject matter experts, editors, graphic designers, or others as needed. Multi-institutional teams are particularly encouraged.
More information, including the full Request for Proposals and application instructions are available at https://vivalib.org/va/open/grants/course. A list of past grant recipients can also be found on that page.
Webinars will be held at the following times, and will include a general introduction to the grants, the application process, and a Q&A:
• Thursday, January 14, 2021, 10:00 am - 11:00 am; Register here: https://vivalib.libcal.com/event/7335779
• Monday, February 8, 2021, 9:30 am - 10:30 am; Register here: https://vivalib.libcal.com/event/7335790
Successful applications will be selected on the basis of:
• Potential for student savings, including class enrollment and existing resource costs
• Use of Open Educational Resources (freely available and free to be modified)
• Frequency of course offering, with a preference for high-enrollment, required courses, and/or courses that are part of the SCHEV Passport or Transfer Virginia Programs
• Impact of the project on open education, such as the development of high quality resources in areas for which no other open content is currently available
• Impact on educational equity and outcomes in traditionally underserved communities
• Preference for statewide reach through multi-institutional efforts
• Commitment to contnue offering the course for future years
• Agreement to the terms of the grant and required activities
*VIVA is funded by the Virginia General Assembly and VIVA member institutions, and is sponsored by the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV).
For faculty developing a syllabus for a new course or simply updating a syllabus for a new semester, we hope that these grants offer an opportunity to look to open and no-cost course materials to improve student engagement and course outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to contact VIVA at vivaopen@gmu.edu with questions, to talk through project ideas, or for feedback on application drafts.
We look forward to your questions and your proposals!
Stephanie Westcott
Stephanie Westcott, Ph.D.
VIVA Open and Sustainable Learning Coordinator
George Mason University
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
she/her/hers
swestcot@gmu.edu