Grants & Stipends for Open Education
Funding opportunities are available for JMU faculty who want to explore, adopt, or create open educational resources (OER).
The grants and stipends listed below, ranging from $200 to $50,000, are provided by JMU, VIVA (Virginia’s academic library consortium), and other state and national programs supporting OER.
Application Deadlines for Funding Opportunities
- February 5, 2026: Get Started Using Open Textbooks from JMU Libraries — An asynchronous online workshop with a $200 stipend
- March 22, 2026: JMU Libraries Summer Stipend for Transitioning to OER — Up to five (5) $2,000 stipends to instructors to develop a new syllabus using open and affordable course materials.
Expected Future Opportunities
- Spring 2026: Virginia Open Educational Resource (OER) Impact Award nomination form — 3 awards of $2,000 for outstanding OER created by individuals or groups working in Virginia (self-nominations accepted)
- Spring 2026: JMU Libraries Open Pedagogy Fellowship — $1,500 stipend for faculty members to work and participate in a learning community with JMU colleagues.
- Spring 2026: Open Education Research Fellowship — stipends for research and scholarship publications in open education
- Spring/Summer 2026: U.S. Dept. of Ed. Open Textbook Pilot Grant (requires coordination through the JMU Office of Sponsored Programs)
- Fall 2026: VIVA Open Adopt Grants $2,000 grants for individual faculty members hoping to adopt an already existing OER
- Fall 2026: VIVA Open Creation Grants, formerly VIVA Open Course Grants, support teams as they create high quality materials for credit-bearing courses at VIVA institutions (awards of $15,000-$50,000). Prior JMU approval is required to apply. This application is the first in a two-part application process and finalists will be identified after the initial November application process.
- Fall 2026: The VIVA Open Grants for Libraries supports libraries in their efforts to expand, promote, and empower instructors and students in meeting curricular needs on campus (awards of $5,000 – $30,000). Prior JMU approval is required to apply. This application is the first in a two-part application process and finalists will be identified after the initial November application process.
Find Collaborators
Grant proposals can be strengthened by including faculty from multiple institutions, but finding collaborators for OER projects can be difficult. That’s where the Virginia OER Collaborations Matchmaking Spreadsheet comes in. Here, you can post if you are looking for a collaborator or if you have expertise to offer. It is organized into disciplines to make it easier to find a collaborator for your project.
Learn More
Visit our JMU Faculty Stories page to discover how other faculty are benefiting from grants and stipends as they incorporate open course materials into their classes.