Michelson 20MM is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Open Educational Resources (OER) Spark Grant who are pushing the open space forward in impactful ways. This year’s cohort reflects the evolving needs of the OER ecosystem, with projects focused on advancing equity-centered research and equipping policymakers and practitioners with actionable data.

Meet the Grantees and Their Projects

The Open Education Association and Bay View Analytics are bringing the power of data to bear to measure the impact of open educational resources across higher education. This project will develop a first-of-its-kind data infrastructure, which will provide timely, reliable insights on course material costs and OER savings across more than 1,000 institutions. By leveraging comprehensive datasets not typically available for research, the initiative will generate powerful, policy-relevant analyses that advocates can use to drive investment in OER at the state and federal levels. Beyond the implications for policy advocacy, the data infrastructure provides a foundation for the development of more advanced tools or novel avenues for research. 

The University of North Dakota Alumni Foundation is researching the cost of automatic textbook billing models against the broader textbook marketplace. Automatic billing models are being adopted across California’s public higher education systems under the assumption that inclusive access models are cost-effective for students. Currently, cost-savings data provided to institutions and student consumers relies on data provided by companies selling these models. As the cost of living remains a vital concern, this project would give a third-party assessment of cost savings across California’s public institutions of higher education,equipping institutions, students, and policymakers with valuable information. 

The Power of Open Education

Open educational resources not only have the power to reduce education costs, they also have the ability to reshape systems. From building national data infrastructure to analyzing cost savings for students, these projects are addressing some of the most pressing challenges in higher education. We look forward to continuing to support work that surfaces scalable, sustainable solutions for institutions and students alike. 

About Michelson 20MM

Michelson 20MM is a private, nonprofit foundation working toward equity for underserved and historically underrepresented communities by expanding access to educational and employment opportunities, increasing affordability of educational programs, and ensuring the necessary supports are in place for individuals to thrive. To do so, we work in the following verticals: Digital Equity, Intellectual Property, Smart Justice, Student Basic Needs, and Open Educational Resources (OER). Co-chaired and funded by Alya and Gary Michelson, Michelson 20MM is part of the Michelson Philanthropies network of foundations.

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