VCU Libraries, in support of open and affordable course materials across the VCU community, announces that a new round of VIVA Open Adopt Grants is open for applications. These $2,000 grants empower Virginia faculty with the resources and time they need to integrate existing open or no-cost materials into a syllabus. Awardees will receive support from VIVA in adopting existing OER, including access to Pressbooks, ISKME’s Open Author Tool, and copyright consultations.

Applications are due Nov. 13, 2024. Grant recipients will be notified by Dec. 13, 2024.

Full or part-time faculty may apply. Proposals must be from an individual course instructor and must support the adoption of OER, including textbooks, software, test banks and ancillary materials, and library resources that replace a traditional textbook or other costly class resources. 

More information, including the full Request for Proposals, application guidance, and the application form are available on the VIVA Open Adopt Grants website. 

“VCU Libraries is excited for a new round of VIVA Open Grants this year,” said Open Educational Resources Librarian Abbey Childs. “A growing number of VCU faculty have participated in VIVA Open Grants’ past cycles, and these efforts benefit students not only through cost avoidance but by providing access to course content from the first day of class. We hope VCU faculty will continue to take advantage of this opportunity from VIVA to support the open educational practices that we know benefit our students greatly.”

VCU Libraries faculty will assist faculty in conceptualizing their projects and completing their applications. Interested faculty should contact Childs at childsam@vcu.edu. Additional information on open and affordable course content at VCU can be found at go.vcu.edu/textbooksavings. 

VIVA will be hosting webinars to review the VIVA Open Adopt Grant program and the application process:

• Oct. 14, 2024, 2 p.m.: https://vivalib.libcal.com/event/13245252
• Nov. 6, 2024, 10 a.m.: https://vivalib.libcal.com/event/13245564

Additional questions about the grant program may be submitted to viva@gmu.edu. 

Other available VIVA Open Grants, to be announced later this year, offer funding to support larger or more in-depth textbook affordability projects focused on content creation, open pedagogy, ancillaries, and large scale adoptions. Each grant type has its own funding scale between $5,000-$50,000 and differing expectations and timelines. Faculty or departments interested in pursuing support for larger-scale projects should consider submitting to the VIVA Open Course Grants, once announced. 

VIVA, Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium, administers the grant program. VIVA is a consortium of academic libraries that collaborates on public policy priorities and shares costs and negotiates joint use of resources to strengthen stewardship of state dollars. The Virginia General Assembly and member libraries fund VIVA, which is also sponsored by the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV).