Open Educational Resources (OER) are a transformative tool in higher education, offering equitable access to learning materials and empowering students and educators alike. By reducing the financial burden of costly textbooks, OER fosters a more inclusive educational environment, ensuring that all students—regardless of their financial background—have access to high-quality learning resources. The Michelson Spark Grants funding cycle aims to further advance this vision by supporting innovative projects that scale OER implementation, build capacity, and enhance outreach.

The OER Spark Grants funding cycle will open for proposals from March 3rd – 17th.

Focus Areas

During this cycle, we seek to fund projects that support systems-level strategies with potential to create positive impact at scale and inform public policy. Our focus areas include:

• Supporting the implementation of California’s investment in zero textbook cost (ZTC) degree programs within the California Community College (CCC) system.
• Mobilizing students and faculty to pass OER policies at the University of California (UC), CCC, and California State University (CSU) systems.
• Improving the quality and reach of OER marketing materials, particularly for under-resourced programs at institutions nationwide. 
• Researching and conducting public education around automatic textbook billing, with a focus on student experience and consumer protection.
• Investigating the impacts of textbook billing and accessibility state and federal policies.

Funding Cycle Details

The program provides a just-in-time grantmaking process to fill urgent needs for higher education organizations that are aligned with our focus areas. The Spark Grants Program is available to United States-based nonprofits. Projects with a national scope must impact California. Additionally, proposals where Michelson Spark Grant funds are part of a larger overall project with multiple funding streams are welcomed.

Join Us to Learn More

Join members of the grant committee on February 20th to learn more about the focus areas and funding opportunity. Join Senior Program Manager Cailyn Nagle and Director of Programs and Operations Ryan Erickson-Kulas on February 20, 2025, for an informational webinar. During it, they will provide an in-depth overview of the Spark Grants program, highlight past awardees, and share detailed updates on the student basic needs funding cycle.

View the Recording

Missed the webinar? A recording is available below: