Library

Open Access Publishing Support

The Library maintains an Open Access Fund to support scholarly publishing by MRU authors. This initiative aims to support authors to openly disseminate their research, reimbursing eligible open access fees related to publishing their research in OA journals.

To date the Library OA fund has supported more than 60 publications by MRU authors. You can view them all in our repository.

Eligibility

The Fund accepts applications from the primary author (e.g., lead, first-named, or corresponding), who will take responsibility for submitting the grant request and receiving reimbursement. This author must be affiliated with MRU as a:

• Tenured, tenurable, or contract faculty member
• Full-time administrator or staff member
• Undergraduate student

Co-authors do not have to be affiliated with MRU.

In the event that a project has existing research funding, the request must be accompanied by a declaration that the open access APCs have not already been covered by the grant or are ineligible under the grant.

Criteria for the Publication

The Fund will reimburse article open access (OA) processing charges (APCs) for article manuscripts accepted to be published in peer-reviewed journals. The journal must:

• Use a full open access publishing model
• Be listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
• Make their OA fees publicly available on their website
• Make the open access version immediately available upon publication
• Currently, we are primarily supporting reimbursements for journal articles but will consider other formats on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us.

Reimbursement Limits

To help the fund reach a broad audience and to ensure timely processing:

• Reimbursement grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis
  • We will retroactively reimburse fees already paid if they fall within the past calendar year, based on the date of application to the Fund. All other Fund requirements, eligibility criteria, and processes still apply.
• Total reimbursement is normally capped at $3,000 (CDN) per individual per fiscal year
  • There is no limit on the number of applications, the maximum is $3,000 total

To qualify for reimbursement the applicant must submit a paid invoice/receipt. The Library will reimburse accepted applicants in a timely manner using established internal processes.

Mandatory Deposit in the IR

Authors who accept their awarded grant under this fund must deposit a version of their research in the Mount Royal University Institutional Repository. Authors are also encouraged to consider depositing appropriate supporting data in the Mount Royal University Data Repository. In the case of publisher embargo, the manuscript should still be deposited as soon as possible with the appropriate repository embargo provisions in place.

The Library can assist with this process. Contact mrujs@mtroyal.ca for more information.

Applying to the Fund

Please use the electronic application form to apply.

How much is in the Fund?

We have set aside $15,000 (CDN) to reimburse authors for the current fiscal year.

How much am I eligible for as an author?

Reimbursement from the Fund is normally capped at $3,000 (CDN) per individual per fiscal year. This could be for one publication, or for multiple publications that add up to $3,000. See the other requirements section for more details on reimbursement limits.

Are formats other than journal articles eligible?

The simple answer is maybe. We recognize and encourage the development of OA research publications in a wide variety of formats beyond the traditional journal article. Currently, we are primarily supporting reimbursements for journal articles; however we are willing to consider alternative formats on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further information.

How do I apply?

Please use the electronic application form to apply.

Who do I contact if I have questions or want some help?

We welcome any questions and are happy to assist you with any part of the process. Please use the contact section to find out how to get in touch with us.

I already paid fees to a journal. Am I eligible to be reimbursed?

Yes, we will reimburse fees if they fall within the current fiscal year. All Fund requirements, eligibility criteria, and processes still apply.

Do other universities offer this kind of fund?

Many universities in Canada and around the world also offer an open access fund in support of their local researchers. For examples, please see the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) curated list showing OA funds in action.

How do I budget for OA fees or article processing charges (APCs) in my grant proposals?

Since many funding agencies treat open access fees as allowable grant expenses (including CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC) we recommend budgeting publication charges as part of your grant proposal. To estimate these costs, try reviewing the websites of appropriate journals/publishers where you hope to publish your research. Your subject librarian can help you with this.

MRU Faculty members looking  to publish their work open access can take advantage of waived publication charges in over 1000 journals (both gold and hybrid open access), as well as discounts from other publishers. Many of these are available through MRU Library subscriptions negotiated by the CRKN (Canadian Research Knowledge Network).

Discounts and waived fees are available to MRU-affiliated corresponding or contributing authors. Specific instructions and exclusions may apply, depending on the publisher. See specific details for each publisher below.

Budgeting

Since many funding agencies treat open access fees as allowable grant expenses (including CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC) we recommend budgeting publication charges as part of your grant proposal. To estimate these costs, you can visit the websites of appropriate journals/publishers where you hope to publish your research. Your subject librarian can help you with this.