It seems like only days ago that we announced at our fall conference in Orlando that  the Online Learning Consortium had received a $2.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance the adoption of digital courseware to support student success. Since then, many of you have reached out and expressed interest in learning more about the OLC Digital Learning Innovation Award (DLIAward).

That day is here and we’re happy to announce the details!

A comprehensive website has been developed that provides insights about the award criteria, application process, and evaluation rubric. Additionally, we’ve started a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section on the website with a number of starter questions (e.g., What is the OLC Digital Learning Innovation Award?, How can a faculty-led team or institution apply?, Does my institution need to be a member of the Online Learning Consortium to apply?). We will add to the FAQ each week through the application window which runs through June 30, 2016.

Today, you have everything you need to begin pulling your application together. Whether you work at a community college or a research intensive university, a public institution or a private one, the only two qualifiers to apply for the award are that your institution must be US-based and it must be accredited.

About next steps, we recommend you:

• Review the awards website for all of the award details. If you have questions , please forward them to us at DLIAward@onlinelearning-c.org
• We also encourage you to consider registering for one of the informational webinars we will be hosting to assist institutions and faculty-led teams interested in applying for the DLIAward. Those sessions are scheduled for February 16, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. EST and February 29, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

We’re looking forward to receiving your application!