Using UKRI’s open access fund for long-form publications: a guide from Jisc

Processing a monograph or book chapter then claiming back funding under the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) open access (OA) monographs policy is new to many. From conversations with funded researchers about the new requirements, to using UKRI’s funding service to apply for reimbursement, it can have many steps.

We’ve created a guide for librarians and research professionals who are applying for UKRI’s OA fund for long-form publications to ensure procedures can be followed with ease.

Following an update, UKRI’s OA policy now includes monographs, book chapters and edited collections as well as journals, ensuring that a broader range of research findings funded with public money can be accessed and used by anyone.

Our new guide for monographs aims to help librarians and research professionals navigate the new funding application process and covers the following:

• the two-stage application process, timelines, deadlines and pay-run dates
• when to apply to each stage and possible outcomes
• maximum funding limits
• how to use the fund to support different open access publishing models
• how to comply with the policy without using the fund
• conversations with publishers

UKRI’s OA fund of £3.5 million a year supports OA publication costs and can be applied to a range of open access models. The fund aims to:

• support immediate open access for the version of record of long-form outputs that are in scope of the UKRI OA policy
• seek affordability and support sustainability to achieve open access
• support a diverse range of research organisations.

This is the first time longform research outputs have been included in UKRI’s open access policy, so there will be a grace period to allow research organisations and award holders to roll-out new practices. UKRI will begin to monitor compliance from September 2024.

Details of UKRI’s approach to monitoring compliance are being further developed as part of their wider monitoring and evaluation framework. More information can be found in the UKRI open access policy and supplementary frequently asked questions (FAQs).

There will be a review point within two years of the start date of the policy requirements to consider whether adjustments are necessary.

For further info, research professionals and librarians can get to grips with the updated OA policy using our new guide. The guide can also be used for training purposes and for conversations with funded researchers and the wider research community. The UKRI website also contains detailed information about applying to the fund.

Find out more about the role Jisc plays in open access policy creation, expression and engagement, sector negotiations with publishers, and the different routes to open access, and keep up to date with our project supporting the research community to implement the UKRI open access policy.