Applications Open for Federal Open Textbook Pilot Grants: Deadline June 23

May 26

The Department of Labor, on behalf of the Department of Education, has opened the fiscal year 2026 Open Textbook Pilot competition. Applications are due June 23, 2026. The program funds the creation and expansion of open textbooks that reduce costs for students in high-enrollment courses and in-demand fields. Since 2018, the Open Textbook Pilot has funded projects across the country that have saved students millions of dollars through openly licensed materials in fields ranging from nursing to skilled trades. Congress renewed funding for the program in fiscal year 2026 with $7 million for new awards.

While this year’s competition includes a short turnaround and some features that deviate from previous years, this grant program remains the largest federal program dedicated to the development of open textbooks. We strongly recommend that applicants who are interested apply this year, as there is historically a 2-3 year gap between competitions.

Support for Association Members

Office Hours: Join us on Friday, May 29, 2026 at 1:00pm Eastern for office hours hosted with SPARC. You can drop in any time to ask questions and discuss the opportunity with others. Register here.
Collaboration Form: If you are seeking collaborators, complete this form and the association will help connect you with others who might be interested. You can also add your information to a public list here.
Grant Review: Association members may request review of their proposal by association staff. Proposals may be submitted to contact@opened.org and will be returned with comments within 5 business days. Shorter turnarounds are available upon prior arrangement.

Details for Applicants

How to Apply: Applications are due June 23, 2026 at 11:59pm Eastern on grants.gov. See the full application checklist on page 21 of the competition notice.
Awards: The Department expects to award approximately four grants of $1.5 million to $2 million each, for project periods of up to 48 months.
Eligibility: Lead applicants must be a U.S. institution of higher education, public agency, or (for the first time) nonprofit organization. Each application must be submitted by a consortium that includes at least three institutions of higher education, along with relevant employers, workforce stakeholders, or professional associations.
Priorities: Applications must address the program’s three existing absolute priorities (improving collaboration and dissemination, filling gaps in the open textbook marketplace, and promoting student success), and two new competitive preference priorities (projects that expand the use of AI technology, and projects carried out by state agencies).
"Great Books" Language: The competition notice includes some unexpected language encouraging applicants to integrate "Great Books of Western History" into open textbooks in order to produce alternatives to existing textbooks the notice describes as "historically inaccurate and/or not grounded in the tradition of the Western Canon." This language exists only in the program overview and is not mentioned in any of the formal selection criteria or priorities that peer reviewers will use to score applications (see pages 6-12).
Funding Restrictions: The notice also cites restrictions on the use of federal funds under recent executive orders, including restrictions for programs labeled as diversity, equity, and inclusion. The language used is consistent with other competitions issued by this administration.