Michelson Spark Grants
Our Open Educational Resources (OER) funding cycle is open from Tuesday, May 30th, to Tuesday, June 13th. A copy of our letter of interest (LOI) and full application are available now. LOIs that pass initial grant committee review will be asked to submit a full application.
Spark Grants is an innovative, just-in-time grantmaking process.
Our vision is to introduce a process that can fill urgent needs for education organizations that are well-aligned with our focus areas. We seek to fund highly impactful initiatives that would not be possible if they needed to wait through a traditional grant decision timeline.
The Spark Advantage
Timing
In the spirit of acting quickly, grants will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Eligibility
For this round of funding we have decided to focus our impact on organizations that are doing work in California. Organizations whose work does not impact California will be ineligible for this opportunity.
Velocity
We are committed to advancing or declining an LOI within 1 week of when our call for proposals close. Grants will be awarded within 6 weeks of the call for proposals closing.
Grant Evaluation Criteria
Baseline Grant Criteria
- Grant ask is up to $25,000
- This funding cycle seeks to support projects that advance systems-level strategies with the potential to create positive impact at scale and inform public policy.
- We welcome proposals where Michelson Spark Grant funds are part of a larger overall project with multiple funding streams.
- For this cycle of funding, we have decided to focus on organizations whose work has an impact in California.
- We will not fund initiatives that primarily seek to develop OER content during this Michelson Spark Grants cycle. While we realize there is a tremendous desire from faculty for this type of support, we are leveraging our funding to effect broader systemic change at this time.
OER Funding Cycle Focus Areas:
- Support the implementation of California’s historic investment in the Zero Textbook-Cost degree program in the California Community College system
- Focusing on capacity building, professional development, and scaling OER marketing
- Research on how OER impacts student outcomes for marginalized groups (BIPOC, student parents, unhoused students, tribal communities, etc)
- Particularly, research that focuses on how OER impacts the decisions students make, their completion rates and grades, and their lives outside of school
- Research and public education around automatic textbook billing, with a focus on student experience and consumer protection
- Research on prevalence and types of automatic textbook billing that is occurring within the three California public higher education systems
- Policymakers at the system, state, and federal levels often have an outdated understandings of the course materials landscape; therefore, public education is required to bring them up to speed on the current landscape and the impact it has on today’s students
- Research around student data protections in the instructional materials marketplace
- Specifically taking a consumer protection or policy analysis lens to examine the emerging risks and extent of student data use in digital course materials necessary to participate in courses
What We’re Looking For
Our vision is to introduce a process that can fill urgent needs for education organizations that are well-aligned with our focus areas. We seek to fund highly impactful initiatives that would not be possible if they needed to wait through a traditional grant decision timeline.
Alignment with focus areas
Lasting organizational sustainability
Measurability of project impact
Spark Grants Evaluation Process
Grant Application is Received
After LOI is submitted the Grant Committee will do an initial assessment.
Reject or Move Forward Decision is Made
Within 6 business days you will be notified if your proposal is moving forward in the process.
Complete Full Application
Proposals that advance will be asked to complete a full application.
Applications Assessed
Full applications will be assessed and a follow up call will be scheduled with those that advance to the finalist stage.
Final Decision Made
You will be notified of the Grant Committee decision within 6 weeks of our call for proposals closing.
Grant Committee
Phil Kim
Chief Executive Officer
Mayra Lombera
Chief Operating Officer
Ryan Erickson-Kulas
Director of Programs and Operations
Cailyn Nagle
Program Manager, OER
Past Spark Grant Recipients
Want to Learn More?
On May 18th, members of the Grant Committee hosted an informational webinar on the funding cycle, focus areas, and Spark Grants process.