UK Libraries accepting faculty proposals for 2023 Alternative Textbook Grants
University of Kentucky faculty who would like to replace a traditional textbook with alternative course content in the academic year 2023-24 are welcome to submit a proposal to UK Libraries’ Alternative Textbook Grant Program. The grants will support adoption, adaptation or revision of existing open textbooks and creation of new course content. The deadline to apply to March 31.
UK Libraries has held seven rounds of the Alternative Textbook Grant Program from 2016 to 2022. Sixty-nine grants have been awarded by August 2022 with a total enrollment exceeding 12,000 students and a cumulative estimated savings of over $1.54 million for the enrolled students. In other words, each student saved about $124 on average thanks to the use of alternative course content in place of traditional textbooks.
The Alternative Textbook Grant Program offers three tracks for applicants to consider. A successful proposal for adopting or adapting existing open textbooks, free online content, and/or UK Libraries’ licensed information resources will be awarded a grant of $1,500. A new category has been added for those who would like to revise their textbook which was previously funded through the Alternative Textbook Grant Program. Each successful applicant in this category will receive a grant of $1,500. For the creation of new open course content (with at least 50% of the content being original and newly created), a $2,500 grant will be awarded to an accepted proposal.
Grant recipients have been appreciative of the program because it enables timely and equitable access to learning materials while reducing the costs of education. Watch a video to hear two grantees’ comments and recommendations for the program here.