Open Access Publication Equity Fund

Collections & Library Materials

For several years, DU researchers have expressed a need for support in funding article page charges (APCs) when submitting to Open Access journals. We are pleased to announce that DU Libraries is now in a position to fund APCs.

It's our hope that this support removes barriers to researchers publishing in the venues of their choosing and results in more DU research being freely, immediately available worldwide.

For Fiscal Year 2023, the Provost's Office has provided a second year’s funding for the Libraries to continue piloting a centralized, formal, equitable process for securing APC support. A committee of faculty with representation from every school and college at DU will work with the Libraries to manage the requesting process. We invite requests from any member of the DU community.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Current DU faculty, staff, and students are eligible for up to $3,000 per year until pilot funds are spent.
  • Journals must be fully Open Access and compliant with the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association Code of Conduct, or be listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals. “Hybrid” journals, where some articles are open and others are not, are not eligible. Our Open Access guide provides some explanation of these models.
  • Funding is intended to support Open Access to research articles where publication fees are not covered by grants or other funding sources.
  • Chair, dean, or governance body approval is required before the committee approves funding.
  • Acceptance of an article by a journal will not be immediately required; funding for successful proposals will be encumbered for three months while the author prepares the manuscript for submission.
  • Authors must submit articles to the Libraries’ Digital Commons @ DU (Institutional Repository) and attribute support to the university.
  • We are open to requests for funding to support OA books. Please contact Jack Maness, Associate Dean, University Libraries, at jack.maness@du.edu if you are working on a book that will be free to readers immediately upon publication.

Request Funding

Use the Open Access Publication Equity Fund Request Form to submit your application. Initial responses will be sent within three business days of receiving your request.

For questions about the fund, or anything related to Open Access publishing, contact Jack Maness, Associate Dean, University Libraries, at jack.maness@du.edu.