The UC Libraries offer a scoped, one-year pilot fund that covers the cost of open access for early career authors publishing in arts and humanities journals that are not otherwise covered by one of UC’s open access publishing agreements.
The goal of the pilot is to provide financial support to author communities that are underserved by existing funding sources for publishing open access, in particular: early career (pre-tenure) faculty, postdoctoral researchers, non-academic staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, and other non-tenured early career authors. Whether due to a lack of grant funding opportunities or current gaps in UC’s open access agreements, such authors are the least likely to be able to secure funds to publish open access.
The pilot covers the full costs of the open access publishing fees for authors who meet the fund’s eligibility requirements.
The pilot is being rolled out to campuses in phases. To learn more about whether your campus is currently participating please see the Eligibility Requirements section.
Questions?
Contact UCLIB-ARTS-HUMANITIES-OAFUND-L@listserv.ucop.edu if you have questions about the pilot.
Eligibility Requirements
You are eligible to receive full coverage of the open access fees if you meet each of the following criteria:
- You are one of the following:
- Early career (pre-tenure) faculty
- Postdoctoral researcher
- Non-academic staff
- Graduate student
- Undergraduate student
- Other non-tenured early career role
- You are the corresponding author of the article.
- Your article will be published in an eligible arts and humanities journal.
- The journal is published by a non-profit or society publisher.
- The journal is not otherwise covered by one of UC’s existing open access publishing agreements.
- You are affiliated with one of the following participating campuses:
- UC Berkeley
- UC Davis
- UC Irvine
- UC Merced
- UC Riverside
- UC San Diego
- UC Santa Cruz
- UC San Francisco
- If your campus is not included in the above list please reach out to UCLIB-ARTS-HUMANITIES-OAFUND-L@listserv.ucop.edu to learn more about onboarding phases for campus participation.
Due to limited funds available, coverage is limited to one article per author for the duration of the one-year pilot.
Application procedure
Step 1: Apply
Please click the link below and fill in the online application form. After you submit, you will receive an email confirmation that your application has been received.
You may apply for the fund before your article is accepted for publication. However, if your application is approved, you will eventually need to provide proof of acceptance in order to proceed to reimbursement.
Step 2: Decision
You can expect to receive a decision on your application within five business days of submission. You may be contacted to provide additional information if needed to fully review your application.
If your application is approved, you will eventually need to provide proof that your article has been accepted for publication in order to proceed to reimbursement. You can forward the publisher’s acceptance email, copy of the invoice, or link to the published article.
Step 3: Reimbursement
If your application is approved and you have provided proof of your article’s acceptance, you will receive instructions to complete a UC Libraries Arts & Humanities Open Access Financial Services Form detailing the steps required.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is my article eligible for the fund?
Please see Eligibility Requirements above to see if your article is eligible for the fund.
How do I know what journals are eligible?
The list of eligible arts and humanities journals is based on the subject classification system used by the citation database Scopus and an evaluation of publishers’ non-profit, non-commercial or society status. The list includes roughly 3,670 eligible arts and humanities journals. If you are publishing in an arts & humanities journal that does not appear on the list but you think should be eligible under the pilot, please let us know by contacting UCLIB-ARTS-HUMANITIES-OAFUND-L@listserv.ucop.edu.
Why is this pilot limited to arts and humanities?
The UC Libraries recognize the need to support authors in all disciplines who wish to publish their research as open access and support multiple pathways to make their research freely available. This includes UC’s open access agreements with publishers, which provide financial support to UC authors for the payment of open access fees. Over 55% of UC research is currently eligible under these agreements. However, while unintentional, UC’s publisher agreements disproportionately favor authors publishing in STEM disciplines. Moreover, authors publishing in the arts and humanities generally have less access to grant funding opportunities that would otherwise cover the cost of open access publishing. This is especially the case for early career researchers in these disciplines. The goal of this pilot is to address such disparities in support for open access publishing by providing targeted funding to early career researchers in the arts and humanities.
Who is considered the corresponding author?
Generally, the corresponding author is the person serving as the contact during the manuscript submission, production, and publication process and oversees correspondence relating to the publication of the article. The corresponding author also acts as the point of contact for any inquiries after the paper is published.
Does my article have to be accepted for publication first before I can apply?
No, your article does not need to be accepted before you can apply for funding, and your application may be “pre-approved” for funding if it meets the eligibility criteria. However, you will need to provide proof of acceptance before you are reimbursed.
Are books or book chapters eligible for the fund?
This pilot program only covers open access fees for journal articles. Unfortunately, books and book chapters or other publication formats are not eligible under the pilot.
How does the reimbursement process work?
After your application is approved and you have provided proof of your article’s acceptance, you will receive instructions to complete a UC Libraries Arts & Humanities Open Access Financial Services Form detailing the steps required.
Where is the money for the fund coming from?
The UC Libraries have allocated a limited amount of funds from a shared, systemwide collections budget to this pilot. Should the funding be depleted during the course of the year, the pilot will no longer offer support.
What is the difference between this fund and other open access programs at UC, such as UC’s open access publisher agreements or the UC Open Access Policy?
UC’s open access publisher agreements provide financial support to UC authors for the payment of open access fees, but only for publishers with whom UC has an existing open access publishing agreement. If you are publishing in a journal that is eligible under one of UC’s open access agreements, you may not apply for funding under this pilot. You can check if a given journal is covered by one of UC’s open access agreements using the Journal Open Access Lookup Tool. Current agreements are also listed by publisher on the Open Access Publisher Agreements and Discounts page.
UC’s open access policies enable you to deposit the author’s accepted manuscript (the version of the paper that includes changes from peer review, but does not contain the publisher’s formatting and copyediting that would appear in the final publisher’s PDF) into UC’s open access repository, eScholarship. This version is free to read on eScholarship even though the publisher’s version is not open access on the journal website.
Who can I contact if I need help?
Contact UCLIB-ARTS-HUMANITIES-OAFUND-L@listserv.ucop.edu if you have additional questions.
Please see Eligibility Requirements above to see if your article is eligible for the fund.
How do I know what journals are eligible?
The list of eligible arts and humanities journals is based on the subject classification system used by the citation database Scopus and an evaluation of publishers’ non-profit, non-commercial or society status. The list includes roughly 3,670 eligible arts and humanities journals. If you are publishing in an arts & humanities journal that does not appear on the list but you think should be eligible under the pilot, please let us know by contacting UCLIB-ARTS-HUMANITIES-OAFUND-L@listserv.ucop.edu.
Why is this pilot limited to arts and humanities?
The UC Libraries recognize the need to support authors in all disciplines who wish to publish their research as open access and support multiple pathways to make their research freely available. This includes UC’s open access agreements with publishers, which provide financial support to UC authors for the payment of open access fees. Over 55% of UC research is currently eligible under these agreements. However, while unintentional, UC’s publisher agreements disproportionately favor authors publishing in STEM disciplines. Moreover, authors publishing in the arts and humanities generally have less access to grant funding opportunities that would otherwise cover the cost of open access publishing. This is especially the case for early career researchers in these disciplines. The goal of this pilot is to address such disparities in support for open access publishing by providing targeted funding to early career researchers in the arts and humanities.
Who is considered the corresponding author?
Generally, the corresponding author is the person serving as the contact during the manuscript submission, production, and publication process and oversees correspondence relating to the publication of the article. The corresponding author also acts as the point of contact for any inquiries after the paper is published.
Does my article have to be accepted for publication first before I can apply?
No, your article does not need to be accepted before you can apply for funding, and your application may be “pre-approved” for funding if it meets the eligibility criteria. However, you will need to provide proof of acceptance before you are reimbursed.
Are books or book chapters eligible for the fund?
This pilot program only covers open access fees for journal articles. Unfortunately, books and book chapters or other publication formats are not eligible under the pilot.
How does the reimbursement process work?
After your application is approved and you have provided proof of your article’s acceptance, you will receive instructions to complete a UC Libraries Arts & Humanities Open Access Financial Services Form detailing the steps required.
Where is the money for the fund coming from?
The UC Libraries have allocated a limited amount of funds from a shared, systemwide collections budget to this pilot. Should the funding be depleted during the course of the year, the pilot will no longer offer support.
What is the difference between this fund and other open access programs at UC, such as UC’s open access publisher agreements or the UC Open Access Policy?
UC’s open access publisher agreements provide financial support to UC authors for the payment of open access fees, but only for publishers with whom UC has an existing open access publishing agreement. If you are publishing in a journal that is eligible under one of UC’s open access agreements, you may not apply for funding under this pilot. You can check if a given journal is covered by one of UC’s open access agreements using the Journal Open Access Lookup Tool. Current agreements are also listed by publisher on the Open Access Publisher Agreements and Discounts page.
UC’s open access policies enable you to deposit the author’s accepted manuscript (the version of the paper that includes changes from peer review, but does not contain the publisher’s formatting and copyediting that would appear in the final publisher’s PDF) into UC’s open access repository, eScholarship. This version is free to read on eScholarship even though the publisher’s version is not open access on the journal website.
Who can I contact if I need help?
Contact UCLIB-ARTS-HUMANITIES-OAFUND-L@listserv.ucop.edu if you have additional questions.
The UC Libraries recognize the need to support authors in all disciplines who wish to publish their research as open access and support multiple pathways to make their research freely available. This includes UC’s open access agreements with publishers, which provide financial support to UC authors for the payment of open access fees. Over 55% of UC research is currently eligible under these agreements. However, while unintentional, UC’s publisher agreements disproportionately favor authors publishing in STEM disciplines. Moreover, authors publishing in the arts and humanities generally have less access to grant funding opportunities that would otherwise cover the cost of open access publishing. This is especially the case for early career researchers in these disciplines. The goal of this pilot is to address such disparities in support for open access publishing by providing targeted funding to early career researchers in the arts and humanities.
Who is considered the corresponding author?
Generally, the corresponding author is the person serving as the contact during the manuscript submission, production, and publication process and oversees correspondence relating to the publication of the article. The corresponding author also acts as the point of contact for any inquiries after the paper is published.
Does my article have to be accepted for publication first before I can apply?
No, your article does not need to be accepted before you can apply for funding, and your application may be “pre-approved” for funding if it meets the eligibility criteria. However, you will need to provide proof of acceptance before you are reimbursed.
Are books or book chapters eligible for the fund?
This pilot program only covers open access fees for journal articles. Unfortunately, books and book chapters or other publication formats are not eligible under the pilot.
How does the reimbursement process work?
After your application is approved and you have provided proof of your article’s acceptance, you will receive instructions to complete a UC Libraries Arts & Humanities Open Access Financial Services Form detailing the steps required.
Where is the money for the fund coming from?
The UC Libraries have allocated a limited amount of funds from a shared, systemwide collections budget to this pilot. Should the funding be depleted during the course of the year, the pilot will no longer offer support.
What is the difference between this fund and other open access programs at UC, such as UC’s open access publisher agreements or the UC Open Access Policy?
UC’s open access publisher agreements provide financial support to UC authors for the payment of open access fees, but only for publishers with whom UC has an existing open access publishing agreement. If you are publishing in a journal that is eligible under one of UC’s open access agreements, you may not apply for funding under this pilot. You can check if a given journal is covered by one of UC’s open access agreements using the Journal Open Access Lookup Tool. Current agreements are also listed by publisher on the Open Access Publisher Agreements and Discounts page.
UC’s open access policies enable you to deposit the author’s accepted manuscript (the version of the paper that includes changes from peer review, but does not contain the publisher’s formatting and copyediting that would appear in the final publisher’s PDF) into UC’s open access repository, eScholarship. This version is free to read on eScholarship even though the publisher’s version is not open access on the journal website.
Who can I contact if I need help?
Contact UCLIB-ARTS-HUMANITIES-OAFUND-L@listserv.ucop.edu if you have additional questions.
No, your article does not need to be accepted before you can apply for funding, and your application may be “pre-approved” for funding if it meets the eligibility criteria. However, you will need to provide proof of acceptance before you are reimbursed.
Are books or book chapters eligible for the fund?
This pilot program only covers open access fees for journal articles. Unfortunately, books and book chapters or other publication formats are not eligible under the pilot.
How does the reimbursement process work?
After your application is approved and you have provided proof of your article’s acceptance, you will receive instructions to complete a UC Libraries Arts & Humanities Open Access Financial Services Form detailing the steps required.
Where is the money for the fund coming from?
The UC Libraries have allocated a limited amount of funds from a shared, systemwide collections budget to this pilot. Should the funding be depleted during the course of the year, the pilot will no longer offer support.
What is the difference between this fund and other open access programs at UC, such as UC’s open access publisher agreements or the UC Open Access Policy?
UC’s open access publisher agreements provide financial support to UC authors for the payment of open access fees, but only for publishers with whom UC has an existing open access publishing agreement. If you are publishing in a journal that is eligible under one of UC’s open access agreements, you may not apply for funding under this pilot. You can check if a given journal is covered by one of UC’s open access agreements using the Journal Open Access Lookup Tool. Current agreements are also listed by publisher on the Open Access Publisher Agreements and Discounts page.
UC’s open access policies enable you to deposit the author’s accepted manuscript (the version of the paper that includes changes from peer review, but does not contain the publisher’s formatting and copyediting that would appear in the final publisher’s PDF) into UC’s open access repository, eScholarship. This version is free to read on eScholarship even though the publisher’s version is not open access on the journal website.
Who can I contact if I need help?
Contact UCLIB-ARTS-HUMANITIES-OAFUND-L@listserv.ucop.edu if you have additional questions.
After your application is approved and you have provided proof of your article’s acceptance, you will receive instructions to complete a UC Libraries Arts & Humanities Open Access Financial Services Form detailing the steps required.
Where is the money for the fund coming from?
The UC Libraries have allocated a limited amount of funds from a shared, systemwide collections budget to this pilot. Should the funding be depleted during the course of the year, the pilot will no longer offer support.
What is the difference between this fund and other open access programs at UC, such as UC’s open access publisher agreements or the UC Open Access Policy?
UC’s open access publisher agreements provide financial support to UC authors for the payment of open access fees, but only for publishers with whom UC has an existing open access publishing agreement. If you are publishing in a journal that is eligible under one of UC’s open access agreements, you may not apply for funding under this pilot. You can check if a given journal is covered by one of UC’s open access agreements using the Journal Open Access Lookup Tool. Current agreements are also listed by publisher on the Open Access Publisher Agreements and Discounts page.
UC’s open access policies enable you to deposit the author’s accepted manuscript (the version of the paper that includes changes from peer review, but does not contain the publisher’s formatting and copyediting that would appear in the final publisher’s PDF) into UC’s open access repository, eScholarship. This version is free to read on eScholarship even though the publisher’s version is not open access on the journal website.
Who can I contact if I need help?
Contact UCLIB-ARTS-HUMANITIES-OAFUND-L@listserv.ucop.edu if you have additional questions.
UC’s open access publisher agreements provide financial support to UC authors for the payment of open access fees, but only for publishers with whom UC has an existing open access publishing agreement. If you are publishing in a journal that is eligible under one of UC’s open access agreements, you may not apply for funding under this pilot. You can check if a given journal is covered by one of UC’s open access agreements using the Journal Open Access Lookup Tool. Current agreements are also listed by publisher on the Open Access Publisher Agreements and Discounts page.
UC’s open access policies enable you to deposit the author’s accepted manuscript (the version of the paper that includes changes from peer review, but does not contain the publisher’s formatting and copyediting that would appear in the final publisher’s PDF) into UC’s open access repository, eScholarship. This version is free to read on eScholarship even though the publisher’s version is not open access on the journal website.
Who can I contact if I need help?
Contact UCLIB-ARTS-HUMANITIES-OAFUND-L@listserv.ucop.edu if you have additional questions.
