Receive Open Access Funding Through Your Research Grant Proposals & Other Outlets

Open Access (OA) is an excellent way to promote unrestricted online access to research outputs such as journal articles. However, with OA, article processing charges are often required as publishers no longer receive revenue from the previous subscription model that many journals were previously published under. Without these subscriptions, the revenue from the article processing charges now ensures that the journal remains sustainable and covers the associated publishing costs. Securing funding upfront is crucial for researchers to make their work more widely accessible and also streamlines the publishing process.

One of the most common ways to secure OA funding is to seek it from research grant proposals. Many funding agencies, both public and private, have recognized the importance of OA and offer grants to cover publication fees. Additionally, universities and research institutions have set up funds to support OA publication fees for their faculty and staff. Sample language to include about open access in a grant proposal can be found below:

"I anticipate publishing "X" peer-reviewed journal articles based on the research conducted under this grant. Sample journals in my field that are possible venues for publication include: "Journal Titles". Current article processing charges for these journals range in cost from "$$ to $$". Therefore, I am requesting "$$" in funding to cover anticipated APC costs for peer-reviewed articles resulting from this grant." (via Simon Fraser University)

There are also crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and Unglue.it that also offer authors and editors an easy way to generate funding for their publication projects. By engaging with their audience, authors and editors can showcase their work, generate attention and excitement around their project, and attract potential backers who share their vision.

Fortunately, there are several OA funding resources available to support researchers in publishing their work. IGI Global, for example, offers Open Access Agreements, which provide flexible options to institutions' faculty and researchers, including no-cost and investment options suited to their needs. By publishing under the OA model, researchers can garner higher usage and potential for indexing for their work.

In addition to open access agreements, IGI Global also offers retrospective open access, allowing researchers to access and convert their previously published work through their Personal Library.

For researchers affiliated with low- or middle-income countries, IGI Global offers potential waivers or discounts for the processing charge if they are unable to secure funding from an alternate body. Authors must request a waiver or discount at the point of submission by filling out and submitting the form

Find below other common OA funding resources that provide additional information on country funding, OA standards, and more.

• Sherpa Juliet is a searchable database of research funders' OA policies.
• The Open Access Directory maintains a list of institutional funds for OA publishing.
• SPARC maintains a list of North American universities and university libraries with OA funds.