For 2024, M.O.S.T. is seeking proposals for two grant programs. Learn more below. Note that all institutional and faculty grants awarded to UMBC must be routed to the Office of Sponsored Programs prior to submission. Contact your unit's business manager or proposal development staff to discuss your application.

CAHSS faculty can request assistance from CARAT (Creative Achievement and Research Administration Team). 

Faculty OER Grant Program
The Maryland Open Source Textbook (M.O.S.T.) initiative is seeking proposals for its Faculty OER Grant Program, which supports faculty efforts to increase access, affordability, and achievement for students at Maryland’s postsecondary institutions through the incorporation of open educational resources (OER) into teaching practice.

Available grants in 2024:

• Adopt/Adapt OER ($1,000 grant + Participation in the Lumen Circles Community of Practice)
• Create/Revise and Publish OER ($2,000 grant + Participation in the Rebus Textbook Success Program)
• OLI STEM Courseware Grant - Use & Evaluate Track ($1,500 grant + Participation in the NSF-Funded Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative (OLI) STEM Courseware Project) NOTE: Available for 2-year colleges only
• OLI STEM Courseware Grant - Use & Improve Track ($5,000 grant + Participation in the NSF-Funded Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative (OLI) STEM Courseware Project) NOTE: Available for 2-year colleges only

Institutional OER Grant Program
The Maryland Open Source Textbook (M.O.S.T.) initiative is seeking proposals for the Institutional OER Grant Program, which supports strategic institutional efforts to increase access, affordability, and achievement for students at Maryland’s postsecondary institutions through more systemic incorporation of open educational resources (OER) into teaching practice.

For 2024, selected institutions will be awarded $20,000 grants to support significant advances in OER adoption, scaling, and sustainability in support of student success. In addition, grantees will receive strategic planning and implementation support for their projects from M.O.S.T. in the form of consultations and regular monthly check-ins.
 

All proposals must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, March 1, 2024
 

Informational Webinar
Join us on Monday, January 22, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET for an Informational Webinar to learn more about the grant requirements and expectations for successful grants. We will also answer any questions about the grants at that time. Register for the Informational Webinar
 

Please feel free to share this information with interested faculty and staff. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at most@usmd.edu 

Thank you for your support in increasing access, affordability, and achievement for all Maryland higher education students through open educational resources (OER).
 

The Spring 2024 Career & Internship Fair is officially almost here! Before you join us at the Retriever Activities Center (RAC) on Friday, February 9, from 11:30-3:30 PM, we wanted to share a few final tips and recommendations so that you are fully prepared for the event and get the most out of your Career Fair experience.

• Research Employers Beforehand. We are breaking records by having the LARGEST number of employers to date at this event! To ensure you're speaking to the right-fit companies for you on Friday, do your homework beforehand. Download the Career Fair Directory, make note of employers of interest, and plan your route in advance. You can review employers on Handshake as well.
• For International Students: this year we've included a page in the directory listing employers hiring international students. Be sure to check that out on page 6!

• Dress the Part. Your outfit for the Career Fair should not be an afterthought. Plan a wardrobe that aims to impress by selecting business casual or even business formal attire. Some ideas include: dress pants and shirts, suits, dresses, blazers, and jackets. Pick colors and patterns that show your personality but are also professional. Make sure what your wearing is comfortable too, as you'll be walking around the RAC. Give yourself room to breathe by not wearing something too form fitting, and comfortable footwear should be considered too.

• Have Your Resume Ready.  List your contact information, accomplishments, skills, and experience. Need a little help with your resume? No problem! We have some tips and samples here, as well as hold live drop-in hours at the Center. Once your resume is good to go, be sure to print out around 15-20 copies and keep them in a folder or padfolio for you to carry around, and bring them with you to the fair. You may also want to bring pens, extra paper, and a place to hold onto business cards.
  
  
• Perfect Your Pitch. So you've done your research, you look professional, and you have your resumes on hand. Now it's time to know what you're going to say to employers once you walk up to their booths. This is where your 30-second commercial, or elevator pitch comes in. For your pitch, you should let employers know who you are, highlight a few accomplishments, and how you'd bring value to their organization. You can practice your pitch using Big Interview, where you can practice answering the "Tell me about yourself" prompt.

By taking these tips and recommendations into consideration, you should have everything you need to make the most out of the Spring Career & Internship Fair. Best of luck out there, and we'll see you at the Career Fair soon! 

UMBC Graduate Students,

 Are you interested in exploring a career in public policy research? We are hiring!

 Virtual Event--Come Learn About RAND!

Please RSVP in Handshake.

 Join us to learn about who we are and hear directly from our RAND Researchers! They will share more about their experience working here, their career path and journey, and highlight they type of research areas we focus on. 

 Monday, February 12^th at 3pm ET

Virtual event (Microsoft Teams link to join)

 The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND's research and analysis address issues that impact people everywhere, including security, health, education, sustainability, growth, and development. 

 RAND Speakers:

Maya Buenaventura is a policy researcher and attorney at RAND. She studies how laws, policies, and programs impact people's lives and wellbeing. Her areas of interest include the justice system and homelessness. Dr. Buenaventura received her J.D. from Northwestern University and her Ph.D. in Public Policy from the Pardee RAND Graduate School. 

George Zuo is an associate economist at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. As an applied microeconomist, his research focuses on using data and causal methods to study policies bridging economic, education, and health disparities in the United States. Dr. Zuo received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland in 2021.