OpenCon Scholarships

About the OpenCon Scholarships OpenCon is a community of early career professionals and students from across the world working to create an open system for research and education. The annual conference provides an opportunity for the next generation of open practitioners and researchers to gather together and learn about key issues impacting scholarly and scientific research, educational materials, and digital research data. Conference attendees will develop the critical skills necessary to catalyze action toward a more open system for sharing the world’s information. ACRL provides scholarship funding for two librarians to attend OpenCon each year.

Benefits

  • Scholarship funding to attend OpenCon (includes registration, lodging, and flight*)
  • Two-year appointment to ACRL’s Research and the Scholarly Environment Committee (ReSEC)
  • Opportunity to publish a conference reflection in the C&RL News scholarly communication column
  • Access to an international network of advocates and scholars
* Please note that registration includes most meals and transportation from the hotel to the conference. It does not cover incidental expenses, including transportation to and from the airport, meals outside the conference, travel insurance, and other expenses.

Administered by:

Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) logo

Award and Frequency

This award is given out on an annual basis.

Eligibility

Application Instructions

Follow the provided instructions for completing an OpenCon application. If you are chosen to participate in OpenCon and are an ACRL member, you will be considered for an ACRL-sponsored scholarship. Your information will be conveyed to a group of ACRL member leaders for review and selection. Applicants are encouraged to review the OpenCon FAQ before applying. Please list ACRL in the affiliation section of the application.

Contact Information

Selection Criteria

Application materials should demonstrate a commitment to advancing Open Access, Open Education, and/or Open Data and should describe how a current project or campaign can be improved or actualized by participation at OpenCon. Additionally, the selection committee will prioritize the following criteria:

  • First-time OpenCon attendees
  • Applicants from traditionally under-resourced institutions
  • Applicants who serve traditionally underserved populations
  • Applicants from minority groups historically underrepresented in librarianship
  • Applicants who demonstrate the capacity to proactively contribute to ACRL’s scholarly communication initiatives
  • Applicants whose career objectives, current roles, and aspirations align with the mission of OpenCon