Creation Grant

Western Michigan University's University Libraries administers the Open Educational Resources (OER) Creation Grant to support faculty and instructors in developing original, openly licensed textbooks. This initiative aligns with the university's mission to reduce student costs and enhance academic equity by promoting the adoption and creation of high-quality, no-cost educational resources. The grant program aims to increase access to knowledge for students at Western Michigan University (WMU) and beyond, enabling customized content aligned with course learning objectives and pedagogical styles. The Creation Grant is designed for WMU faculty and instructors interested in authoring new open textbooks that can be implemented in existing courses. Applicants must submit a detailed proposal outlining their subject expertise, course relevance, and the anticipated educational impact of the proposed OER. The project must also include a robust justification demonstrating the absence of existing adequate OER alternatives. Proposals should address accessibility for students with disabilities, a detailed timeline for completing the project within 18 months, and a sustainability plan for updating and maintaining the textbook after its initial development. Up to two grants of $3,500 will be awarded per cycle. The award amount is fixed per project and is shared if there are multiple contributors. Funds are intended to compensate time spent on writing and developing the open textbook and may also support expenses like software, peer review, graduate assistant support, copyright permissions, and publishing services. Additional project support of up to $1,500 may be requested, provided it is itemized and approved in advance. Funds are typically disbursed upon project completion unless a case for earlier disbursement is justified. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include a departmental letter of support to illustrate curricular alignment, projected reach, and author qualifications. All selected grantees are required to meet with the Scholarly Communications Librarian, use the OER for at least two semesters, submit interim and final progress reports, and ensure the final textbook is published with a Creative Commons license. It must also be housed in WMU’s institutional repository and be eligible for the Open Textbook Library. An accompanying student experience survey is also required as part of the grant’s assessment plan. Applications for the current cycle open on October 6, 2025, and are due by November 21, 2025. Recipients will be notified by December 5, 2025. The proposal evaluation criteria include project clarity and rationale, cost savings potential, implementation feasibility, inclusivity and accessibility planning, and anticipated student learning outcomes. The program is managed by the OER Task Force, composed of representatives from University Libraries and affiliated WMU academic departments.

Emphasize alignment with course goals, demonstrate lack of existing OER options, and provide a strong sustainability and accessibility plan.