2 JMU Faculty Awarded Grants to Use Open Textbooks

Posted September 15, 2026 in Uncategorized

Two JMU faculty members were recently selected to receive statewide VIVA Open Grants:

Pictured left to right: Dr. Hakseon Lee and Dr. Robyn Kondrad

Dr. Hakseon Lee, professor of Political Science, was awarded a $2,000 Open Adopt Grant to transition his course, POSC 295 (Political Science Research Methods), to zero-cost open course materials, eliminating textbook expenses for his students. He estimates that this resource will result in a 5-year cost avoidance of $34,000 for students.
Dr. Robyn Kondrad, associate professor of Psychology, is leading an Open Creation Grant project to author “Human Lifespan Development: A Topical Approach”, an open online textbook. The initiative is projected to serve 1,187 students annually, with potentially saving students $511,400 in textbook costs over the next five years.

All Open Creation grant projects are peer-reviewed, copyedited, and checked for accessibility by VIVA Open Publishing, before making them available with an open license to students throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.

VIVA’s Open Grants help make higher education more accessible to Virginia students by eliminating textbook costs. Offered through VIVA, Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium, these open grants are offered to faculty at any Virginia higher education institution.

Apply Now: Apply by October 12 for a grant from VIVA to use or create an open textbook. Register now for an optional webinar on September 30, 2026.

Learn More: Visit our Grants & Stipends for Open Education page to learn about other funding opportunities for faculty using open and affordable textbooks.