Status: closed

Key dates

DateEvent
December 1, 2020Call for proposals opens
January 10, 2021Call closes
January 11–14, 2021Adjudication
January 15, 2021Successful submission notification
January 18, 2021Grant recipient announcement
Wednesday, June 30, 2021Report on Deliverables Due

Introduction

Since 2012, the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training has funded B.C. open education initiatives and tasked BCcampus with managing them. BCcampus Open Education’s goal is to provide flexible and affordable access to post-secondary learning resources in B.C.

We recognize that one of the barriers to growing open education at an institution is time. The reality of many post-secondary institutions is that open education work is a secondary, often unofficial, role of an open education advocate. This individual could hold an instructional or non-instructional faculty or staff position.

What would happen if your institution were given a substantial amount of money to use toward dedicated time to focus on an open education initiative? How could this time kickstart open education at your institution?

Synopsis

Funding dedicated time is the idea behind BCcampus’ new time investment grant. Available to both instructional and non-instructional faculty and staff who work for institutions in the Interior and Northern regions of B.C., up to $10,000 is available to:

  • Create an open educational resource (OER)
  • Adapt an OER
  • Create supplementary materials for existing OER
  • Start an OER awareness campaign at your institution
  • Develop open educational practices at your institution
  • Improve OER adoption practices at your institution
  • Create an open education working group at your institution
  • Pursue other innovative approaches to open education

For the purposes of this application, open educational resource (OER) is defined as “teaching, learning, and research resources that, through permissions granted by their creator, allow others to use, distribute, keep, or make changes to them” (from the BCcampus Self-Publishing Guide).

Application Process

This call is now closed.

Criteria for Successful Proposals

Successful proposals will meet the following primary criteria:

  • Proposed activity will result in the increased practice of open education at your institution.
  • Proposed activity will improve open educational practices at your institution.
  • Includes a budget documenting the use of the funding being requested.
  • Includes a timeline that will allow work to be completed by June 30, 2021.

Grant proposals are also evaluated on the following secondary criteria:

  • Positively impacts large numbers of students across the B.C. post-secondary system.
  • Includes student voices and student feedback in the development or evaluation of activities.
  • Encourages collaboration across disciplines and departments, both within the institution and with other B.C. post-secondary institutions.
  • Addresses accessibility and makes use of the principles of Universal Design for Learning.
  • Considers equity, diversity, and inclusion and makes use of inclusive practices.
  • Incorporates Indigenous perspectives and pedagogies.

Funding Deliverables and Requirements

Successful grantees will develop and deliver the following:

  • A report detailing actions undertaken during this time investment project. Were the deliverables achieved? How has this impacted use of OER and improved open education practice and awareness in your institution? 

In addition, grantees must:

  • Complete deliverables on time.
  • Follow sound open publishing practices for all OER created or adapted with these funds.
  • Participate in an interview about the project (to be published on the BCcampus website and newsletter).
  • Acknowledge the support of BCcampus in the development of these resources.

BCcampus Support

The appropriate regional representative can help with strategies and connections related to your proposed project.

Applicants from institutions in Northern B.C. can contact Carolee Clyne at cclyne@bccampus.ca, and applicants from Interior B.C. institutions can contact Ross McKerlich at rmckerlich@bccampus.ca.