OENC Grants

Are applications accepted for courses not on the list of OENC Courses for Adoption?

The OENC program has ended and is not currently accepting applications. While the program was operation, NC LIVE curated high quality content for the top 41 courses across North Carolina, however grant funds were open to instructors of any course and subject.

Do you have a list of who has received grants and which textbooks they have adopted?

Please see our list of Awarded Grants for examples of materials that have been successfully adopted by North Carolina faculty through the Open Education North Carolina grant program.

Am I limited to using what is on the OENC Collection? Could I adopt material from another organization or a locally adapted OER?

The OENC program has ended and is not currently accepting applications. While the program was operation, applicants and participants were not limited to the content in the Open Education North Carolina Collection. We hosted curated content there in an effort to make it easier for instructors to discover and adopt high-quality textbooks quickly. Applicants were welcome to use open materials from any source. Please see our OER Guide for other sources of open educational content.

I already use an OER in my course. Can I still apply for a grant?

The OENC program has ended and is not currently accepting applications or distributing grants. While the program was operation, unfortunately, we could not provide grants to instructors who are already using open materials. Our grant funds were designated to incentivize instructors to move their courses from commercial textbooks/products to open materials.

Are the grants available to individuals only, or can a team of instructors apply?

The OENC program has ended and is not currently accepting applications or distributing grants. While the program was operation, grants were available to both individuals and teams. An individual who received a grant was awarded $1,000. Teams may have received a slightly larger sum depending on their application, but could expect to receive at least $1,000 to split amongst themselves.

How long do I have to commit to using OER in my course?

We asked applicants to estimate how many sections of the course they (and their collaborators, if they have collaborators) would teach using OER over the next two years. However, you were only required to commit to using OER in your course for one semester. If you decide after that semester that you would like to return to using a commercial textbook, you are free to do so.

Is there any effort to make OERs a part of a local QEP initiative?

We are not aware of any current efforts, but we encourage this idea!  

Once I apply, how long will it take to receive a decision on my application?

The OENC program has ended and is not currently accepting applications or distributing grants.  

When will I receive the grant payment?

Recipients will receive their funds after their first semester of open textbook implementation, upon completion of the end-of-semester survey.

How were these grants funded?

NC LIVE and three of its Communities of Interest (the UNC System, NC Community College System, and NC Independent Colleges and Universities) provided funding for the OENC grants.

OENC Collection

Are the materials in the OENC Collection ADA and WCAG compliant? Are there VPATs available for the material in the hub?

Open educational materials come from a variety of sources and may or may not be ADA compliant. NC LIVE is committed to accessibility and is currently developing documentation about the accessibility of content in the OENC hub.

Does OpenStax offer print copies in color?

All OpenStax textbooks are available in print. Print versions are full color and bound with a hard cover. 

Can locally created ancillary materials be added to the OENC Collection?

We added some curated content to our hub. High-quality, locally created ancillary materials would be great candidates for this!  

Will OENC facilitate collaborative creation of ancillary materials or textbooks across institutions?

We do not coordinate these activities at this time.

Additional Questions

Still have questions? Please Contact Us!