Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE): Open Textbooks Pilot Program CFDA Number 84.116T | ED GRANTS 091520 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 091520 001

The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Open Textbooks Pilot Program (CFDA 84.116T) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Education designed to reduce college costs for students by supporting the creation and expanded adoption of open textbooks. The core idea is to help eligible institutions of higher education develop, improve, and scale the use of openly licensed textbooks in courses that count toward a degree, with a strong emphasis on courses that enroll large numbers of students. By focusing on high-enrollment courses, the program aims to maximize the total dollar savings students experience over time, rather than limiting benefits to a small set of classes or a single department.

The program supports projects that do two related things: (1) create new open textbooks (as defined in the official Federal Register notice) and (2) expand the use of open textbooks across degree-granting coursework. Open textbooks are generally understood to be free or low-cost to students and openly licensed in ways that allow instructors and institutions to use, share, and often adapt the materials to fit specific course needs. The notice highlights a preference for projects that are sustainable, meaning the work should be built to last beyond the grant period through ongoing campus adoption, maintenance plans, and institutional commitment. Applicants are also encouraged to target programs that prepare students for in-demand fields, aligning textbook affordability with workforce-oriented pathways where enrollment demand and course sequencing can be especially strong.

Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, with some additional eligibility details referenced in the official notice. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is education. For this 2020 competition, the Department anticipated making about 12 awards, with an award ceiling of $2,000,000 per grant. The opportunity was posted with applications available on September 15, 2020, and a deadline for transmittal of applications of November 16, 2020. Because this synopsis is not the full legal announcement, applicants were directed to follow the Department of Education Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published February 13, 2019, 84 FR 3768) for standard submission rules, required forms, and procedural requirements, and to rely on the Federal Register notice for the authoritative program-specific requirements, priorities, and performance measures.

In practical terms, a competitive proposal under this program would typically lay out a plan to replace expensive commercial textbooks with open alternatives in large introductory or required courses, describe how the institution will support faculty adoption and continuous improvement of the materials, and present a credible method for estimating and reporting student savings. Because the program encourages achieving the highest level of savings, proposals that address multiple sections of high-demand courses, multi-institution collaborations, or textbook replacements across an entire high-enrollment program of study may be especially aligned with the stated goals, provided they include clear implementation steps and sustainability plans.

The agency contact listed for this opportunity was Stacey Slijepcevic at the U.S. Department of Education (400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 268-34, Washington, DC 20202), telephone (202) 453-6150, email stacey.slijepcevic@ed.gov. For any applicant, the key takeaway is that the official Federal Register notice governs details like definitions (including what qualifies as an open textbook and what counts as a high-enrollment course), application components, selection criteria, reporting requirements, and any competitive priorities that could affect scoring.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE): Open Textbooks Pilot Program CFDA Number 84.116T" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.116.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 15, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 16, 2020 Applications available September 15, 2020. Deadline for transmittal of applications November 16, 2020. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Stacey Slijepcevic, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 268-34, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone (202) 453-6150. Email stacey.slijepcevic@ed.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for ED GRANTS 091520 001

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