SNSF and Open Access: What You Need to Know in Order to Receive Funding for Publications

All researchers supported by the SNSF are obliged to publish their results as freely accessible articles, books or book contributions. This is done by means of a “digital publication that is immediate, unrestricted and free of charge”, or through the delayed deposit of the publication in an institutional Open Access repository like edoc.unibas.ch, at the latest 6 months after publication for journal articles or 12 months for all other publications. Since 1^st October 2018, researchers can apply for Open Access publication funding directly via mySNF and simply send the SNSF the publisher's invoice which will be checked and settled directly. Applications can be made at any time, irrespective of whether the project is still ongoing or has already been completed.

Although a wide range of freely accessible publications are considered as being compliant with the SNSF’s Open Access policy, authors of journal articles seeking support to cover publication costs need to be aware that the SNSF will only cover the cost of papers accepted in a full Open Access journal, ideally listed in the international Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ). Open Access fees of traditional journals (subscription-based or closed access) are not eligible. This for two reasons:

• Usually, universities already pay for the access to most articles of this type of journal or even to the portfolio of an entire publishing house. Therefore, Open Access charges for single articles come additionally on top, and so far no publisher has been able to prove that it does not charge twice. Subscription prices are not public.
•  As part of swissuniversities’ national Open Access strategy, negotiations are taking place with the publishers of traditional journals to offset the costs of the reading licence and the publication costs. Through so-called “Publish & Read” agreements in the coming years, all researchers at the University of Basel will be able to publish Open Access in such journals  at no additional costs.

Although publications from this type of journal meet the SNSF requirements for Open Access, the SNSF wishes to support efforts to abolish double payment and will therefore not cover these costs.  

Finally, the SNSF also finances publication costs of digital books and single contributions in such books. Monographs, dissertations, habilitation theses and anthologies are funded, even if they are not the result of a SNSF funded project. Books can still be printed parallel to the Open Access publication, however, the SNSF does not cover printing costs.

More information:
Open access website of the SNSF

Support and Contact Point at the University of Basel:
Open Access Coordination (University Library):
Phone: 061 207 29 91
Email: openaccess@unibas.ch
Website: http://openaccess.unibas.ch