Research Guides: Scholarly Publishing: Discounts and Funding for U-M Authors

Discounts for University of Michigan Authors

Some commercial publishers charge authors fees known as APCs (article publishing charges) to publish open access. The library has contracts with certain publishers that make it possible for U-M-affiliated authors to obtain discounts on APCs. See the list below for publishers for discounts for which you may be eligible. Each publisher has specific requirements in order to obtain the U-M negotiated discount. Please look at the information (linked) for publishers of interest to you for specific information. Email the U-M Library if you have questions about these discounts at lib-oa-pub@umich.edu.

American Chemical Society (ACS)
The University Library subscribes to the Web Editions of "All ACS Publications," so ACS offers institutional discounts to U-M authors. There are different price levels depending on whether the author chooses to make the article available immediately or wait 12 months and whether the author is an ACS member.
Biochemical Society
Thanks to an agreement negotiated by the Big Ten Academic Alliance, U-M authors from all three campuses are now able to publish their articles open access in Biochemical Society journals at no cost. All Society journals are included: Biochemical Journal, Clinical Science, Bioscience Reports, Neuronal Signaling, Biochemical Society Transactions, Essays in Biochemistry, and Emerging Topics in Life Sciences
BioMed Central (BMC)
The University of Michigan is a BMC member at the "Supporter" level. U-M research staff and students can take advantage of a 15% discount on the Article Processing Charge for BMC journals.
BMJ Case Reports
U-M has an institutional Fellowship with BMJ Case Reports. U-M Faculty, Staff, and Students do not have to pay individual Fellowship fees to publish. This does not cover the optional open access fee. Contact Whitney Townsend (whitneyt@umich.edu) or Emily Capellari (eginier@umich.edu) for the BMJ Fellow Number.
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
U-M affiliates can publish in one of CUP's over 370 gold and hybrid open access at no cost thanks to an agreement through the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory Press
We have a transformative agreement with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press to publish the first 8 articles by UM corresponding authors without any Article processing fees. Any subsequent articles will receive discounts.
DeGruyter Journals
The University Library has negotiated an agreement with DeGruyter which entitles U-M authors from all three campuses to a full waiver of the Article Processing Charge (APC) in their 285+ hybrid journals and a 15% discount on the APC in their 100+ pure open access journals.
Electrochemical Society (ECS)
The University Library subscribes to the ECS's ECS Plus Program, so U-M authors can publish their articles open access in ECS journals free of charge.
Elsevier
The University Library has negotiated an agreement with Elsevier which entitles U-M authors from all three campuses to a 10% discount on the open access fee. You can use Elsevier's Journal Search Tool (https://agreements.journals.elsevier.com/university-of-michigan) to find eligible titles.
IEEE Journals
The University Library has negotiated an agreement with IEEE which entitles U-M authors from all three campuses to a 15% discount on the open access fee for Gold & Hybrid gold journals.
International Journal of Developmental Biology
The University Library subscribes to the International Journal of Developmental Biology which entitles U-M authors to a 25% discount on the open access fee.
IOP Publishing
Thanks to an agreement negotiated by the Big Ten Academic Alliance, U-M authors from all three campuses are now able to publish their articles open access in IOP journals, as well as in many of IOP’s society partner journals, at no cost.
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD)
The University library is a JAFSCD shareholder which waives the author processing charge for U-M affiliated authors looking to publish open access in JAFSCD.
Journal of Experimental Botany (JXB)
The University Library subscribes to JXB, so U-M authors are offered free open access publication for research papers.
Microbiology Society
Thanks to an agreement negotiated by the Big Ten Academic Alliance, U-M authors are now able to publish their articles open access in all Microbiology Society journals, both hybrid and fully open access titles.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
The University Library has a site license to PNAS, so U-M authors pay the discounted rate for the Immediate Open Access option. The discount does not apply to the Delayed Open Access option.
Public Library of Science (PLOS) Biology
Because of an agreement by the Big Ten Academic Alliance, U-M affiliates from all three campuses have author fees waived when publishing in this open access journal.
Public Library of Science (PLOS) Medicine
Because of an agreement by the Big Ten Academic Alliance, U-M affiliates from all three campuses have author fees waived when publishing in this open access journal.
Royal Society
The University Library has negotiated an agreement with the Royal Society which entitles corresponding U-M authors from all three campuses to a full waiver on the open access fee for articles in Royal Society journals.
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Corresponding U-M authors from all three campuses are entitled to a full waiver of the Article Processing Charge (APC) in RSC journals.
Sage Publishing
The University Library has an agreement which entitles U-M authors from all three campuses to a 10% discount on the open access publishing charge (APC) for articles published in Sage's pure gold open access journals.
Science Advances
The University of Michigan receives a 5% discount on article processing charges. Authors should add their affiliation with U-M at checkout to receive the discount.
SPIE
SPIE provides full waivers to U-M authors for all journal titles (but not conference proceedings).
SpringerOpen
The University of Michigan is a SpringerOpen member at the "Supporter" level. U-M research staff and students can take advantage of a 15% discount on the Article Processing Charge for SpringerOpen journals. This discount applies only to the 200 journals that are SpringerOpen titles; it does not apply to Springer titles that are not Open.
SpringerOpen List of Journals
A list of all the SpringerOpen journals where U-M authors can get a 15% discount on article processing charges.
Taylor & Francis
The University Library has negotiated an agreement which entitles U-M authors from all three campuses to a 10% discount on the open access article publishing charge (APC) for articles published in Taylor & Francis and Routledge Open Select (hybrid) journals. Journals eligible for the discount are listed on the Taylor & Francis site: https://www.tandfonline.com/openaccess/openselect.
Wiley
U-M authors from all three campuses are able to publish open access in any of Wiley's hybrid journals or Wiley or Hindawi fully open access journals without having to pay Article Processing Charges (APCs), thanks to an agreement negotiated by the Big Ten Academic Alliance.

Funding for Journal Articles

Grants and sponsored projects awards

Take publication costs into account when applying for funding and write publication costs into your grant. If you are seeking to publish work that was previously funded, check with your funding agency to see if you can use funds to cover publication costs.

Individual funds (start-up funds, research accounts, special funds associated with appointments)

Most faculty have funds available to cover travel, materials, equipment, publication costs, and other expenses associated with their work. Your academic unit might recommend (and in some cases require) that you expend these funds first before seeking additional funding at the level of your department or school/college.

Unit funds and special programs in units

Departments and schools/colleges offer research incentive funds. While policies vary by unit, publication costs are generally accepted as an expense that can be covered using these funds. Some units also have unique opportunities for funding. For example, in LSA, an application for the Associate Professor Support Fund could include publication charges as part of the budget. Consult your chair or associate dean(s) to learn more.

Funding for Monographs

For U-M faculty interested in making their book open access, a special fund connected to the TOME initiative is open to all departments and colleges. Grants of around $15,000 each are awarded for book publishing charges. Further information can be found on the Library's website

Scholarly Publishing

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