Illinois SCOERs Sub-Grant Application Instructions and Forms

Submission Requirements

Proposed OER and/or ancillary materials should address introductory-level courses in any subject that are taught at least once a year or be related to “The Human Condition: Care, Development, and Lifespan.” Created materials will replace currently used high-priced textbooks and course materials.

Layout:

• All documents must be submitted together by the Principal Investigator.
• Pages must be double-spaced
• Typeface must be a 12-point easily readable font such as Times New Roman or Arial
• Margins at .5” or wider
• Include the lead institution name and component name in the page header or footer in all documents, for example, [Institution Name] Narrative.
• Packet components must be submitted electronically as individual PDFs using the following file naming convention, institution name followed by component name; for example, InstitutionName_coversheet.pdf and InstitutionName_narrative.pdf.
• Packet must be submitted to: Michele Leigh, Ph.D., Illinois SCOERs Project Director
• Packet must be submitted on or before the due date and time:
  February 28, 2023 at 5 p.m. CT.

Incomplete application packets will not be considered for funding. Packets received after the due date and time will not be considered for funding.

Additional Funding for Previous Subgrantees

If you have already received an Illinois SCOERs Sub-grant, you may apply for up to $15,000 in additional funds. Please resubmit Page 1 of the Cover Sheet, an Updated Timeline, Budget, and Budget Justification must be sent to Michele Leigh, Ph.D., Illinois SCOERs Project Director.

Packet Components

Forms provided to you to complete and save as PDFs:

1. Cover Sheet (Attachment 1)
    
2. Narrative (10 pages maximum)

   Statement of work What is the central goal of your project? Will you be creating ancillary OER materials only or will you be creating or adapting an OER textbook and ancillary materials. This description should identify the intended audience, explain the OER's purpose and how it will be achieved, and highlight the OER's outstanding, distinctive, or unique features. How will your OER add new knowledge, new breadth, a new perspective, or a new approach to the topic? How will your OER contribute to the field and to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Describe the roles of workgroup members. Briefly cite and describe any OER that will be used as a starting point in the project, or document that existing resources are not available to meet your learning objectives (you will be asked to provide more detailed information on the Course Data Form). Provide an explanation for why OER would be well suited for the course(s) you are teaching.

   (If you only plan to create ancillary OER to accompany an existing OER textbook, just include section b, otherwise include both sections a and b)

   a. Outline/table of contents: Include a detailed outline of the proposed OER textbook with paragraph-length descriptions of each chapter, including core competencies and student learning outcomes.
   b. Ancillary OER materials description: Include a detailed description of ancillary materials that will be created. At least one 3D printing assignment that is pedagogically motivated must be included. Project Timeline Provide a timeline and explanation for how your team will create or adapt OER and ancillary materials within the 10-month period specified by the grant.

3. Course Data Form (Attachment 2)
   Among other things, you will be asked to provide information regarding the course description, number, credit hours, anticipated enrollment for the next semester (at each institution, if applicable) and existing resources to be used or adapted.
    
4. Agreement to Adopt OER (Attachment 3)
   If the workgroup is multi-institutional, attach an Agreement to Adopt OER from each participating institution.
    
5. Detailed Budget Spreadsheet (Attachment 4)
   Include the completed detailed budget spreadsheet (Excel spreadsheet provided). The maximum request is $75,000.
    
6. Budget Justification Narrative (two pages maximum)
   The budget justification narrative should identify the purpose for each expense in the detailed budget spreadsheet and show the method of cost computation used to determine each dollar amount, including any that you may have consolidated and summarized on the detailed budget spreadsheet.
    
7. Subrecipient Profile (Attachment 5)
   Regardless of Federal Demonstration Partnership Clearinghouse (FDP) status, the Subrecipient Profile must be completed.
    
8. Subaward Compliance Assurance (Attachment 6)
   Regardless of FDP status, the Subaward Compliance Assurance form must be completed.
    
9. Letter(s) of Support
   Secure a letter of support from your department chair, dean, or similar role that is responsible for assigning courses. The purpose of the letter is to verify that if you receive the grant, you and/or a designated alternate will be assigned to teach the redesigned course at least one time before June 30, 2025. If the workgroup is multi-institutional, attach a Letter of Support from each participating institution. Save all letters as a single PDF.
    
10. Peer Reviewers
    Please provide names and contact details for three to four people whom you feel would competently review your material and whose opinion you value. We will seek to use some of these, along with reviewers of our own selection. Please also provide the names and contact information for 2-3 student reviewers, these could be undergraduates who have already taken the course or graduate students who are knowledgeable in the subject area.
     
11. Author Advocacy Plan
    Please include details about your ability to reach readers inside and outside of the academy. Do you write for popular publications? Do you maintain a large social media following? Do you teach a course on which the book is based? Do you give talks or media appearances? How might marketing efforts leverage your networks to maximize interest in the book?
     
12. A CV/Resume for each team member in a single PDF (maximum two pages each)
     
13. Completed Illinois SCOERs Sub-Grant Application Checklist (Attachment 7)

The contents of this document were developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.