OA Fund Now Accepting ApplicationsIn addition to the requirements below, the fund has three changes for Spring 2025:The maximum award is now $2,500Journals whose APC is greater than $5,000 are ineligible Eligibility is limited to undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc status community members who are first/corresponding authorsPlease review the terms below before you apply. The Princeton Open Access (OA) Fund provides limited financial assistance for Princeton authors facing charges for Gold Open Access publications with limited alternative funding sources available. The goal of PUL’s partial or full subvention of Article and Book Processing Charges (APCs and BPCs) is to provide transitional support to the Princeton research community as the scholarly publishing landscape continues its transition. We believe that sustainable investment in Open Access aligns with the core mission and values of the Library and University, as well as the Library’s strategic priorities. Princeton OA Fund Guidelines How is the OA Fund managed and operated? The OA Fund accepts applications when funding is available. The fund receives a budget for each fiscal year from July 1 - June 30. 50% of the funds are available each semester. The applications will be reviewed by a committee of Library employees led by the Open Access and Intellectual Property Librarian. When should I apply? As soon as an author has a manuscript accepted for publication under the Gold Open Access model, they should apply for assistance from the fund by filling out the application form. The application will be reviewed within 5-7 business days. If the application is approved, the author will be notified and provided with additional information. All payments will be made directly to the journal/publisher on the author's behalf. We recommend that interested authors check with the Scholarly Communications Office at [email protected] first for the fund availability. Who is eligible to receive funding? Princeton postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students, who have no other funding sources such as research grants, departmental funding, or funding from third parties are eligible. Eligibility lasts 18 months after separation from Princeton in most circumstances.Applicants are encouraged to consult with the committee at [email protected] prior to submitting an application to determine fund availability and eligibility. What does the OA Fund cover? The OA Fund is intended solely for covering Open Access publishing fees charged by the publisher, also known as Article Processing Charges (APCs) and Book Publishing Charges (BPCs). Please note that the fund does not cover page charges or other publication-related fees. What publications are eligible? Works submitted to reputable, established, and scholarly open access journals; open access book chapters in a fully (Gold) open access book; and open access books are eligible. Articles in hybrid open access journals or delayed open access journals (i.e. journals that embargo open release of the Version of Record for some period of time) are ineligible. Criteria for eligible open access journalsPeer reviewedListed in the Directory of Open Access JournalsPublisher is a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association or demonstrates the best practice and ethical standards to preserve the integrity of scholarship as outlined in the OASPA’s Code of ConductArticle Processing Charge (APC) schedules are publicly accessiblePublisher offers a waiver in case of financial hardshipNew: The total APC for the journal may not exceed $5,000Criteria for eligible open access books/book chaptersPeer reviewedListed in Directory of Open Access BooksPublisher is a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association or demonstrates the best practice and ethical standards to preserve the integrity of scholarship as outlined in the OASPA’s Code of ConductNote: Fees for Open Access Books/Monographs are considerably higher than those for articles. As this part of the scholarly publishing ecosystem has evolved at a different pace and down a different path, we encourage you to consult with [email protected] to explore funding and publication options. What amount of support is available? In order to make funding available to the greatest number of applicants, an individual author may be supported up to a maximum of $2,500 per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). We strongly encourage seeking a variety of funding sources in case we are unable to fully fund your request. What’s right for me: Green or Gold OA? “Gold” Open AccessGold open access requires payment of an Article or Book Processing Charge on acceptance of the manuscript (post-peer review) in order to make the work freely available to all at the time of publication. Gold journals only publish openly, requiring all authors to pay such a fee for the privilege to publish unless their institution has made other financial arrangements with the publisher. For the last 20 years, these charges have steadily increased in ubiquity and total cost, creating a financial strain on the scholarly community. Gold Journals, while solving for issues of equity in access, cause a different issue of equity in who is able to participate in the scholarly conversation. “Green” Open AccessGreen open access works slightly differently, and without a cost associated with it. Instead of the “Publisher’s Version” being openly available, the “Accepted Manuscript” may be deposited in a publicly available repository (e.g. Princeton’s Open Access Repository; PubMed Central; or arXiv). The "Publisher's Version” is the “Version of Record” which has gone through final copyediting and layout.The “Accepted Manuscript” is the version of the work that has implemented all changes post-peer review but hasn't gone through final copyediting and layout.Publishers sometimes require an embargo of 12 months or more for this kind of deposit, which can be contrary to requirements of many funding agencies (US Government; Gates Foundation, et al.) so check your publishing requirements closely.Consider carefully whether your work needs to be openly available at the time of publication, and what your funding and stakeholder requirements might be. Contact the Office of Scholarly CommunicationsPlease feel free to contact us with any questions or for a consultation. Email Us