DFG grant for Open Access publication fees

For the period 2022-2024, the DFG has approved the UCL's "Open Access Publication Costs" application. As a scientist the University of Cologne/Uniklinik, you can have your primary Open Access publication of journal articles (Gold Open Access) subsidised with 700 €.

The subsidy will end on 31 December, 2024. The following applies to clinic members: The subsidy can be paid if the publishing house provides the service in 2024, i.e. the publication appears in 2024. Please contact us when you submit your article. University members who do not belong to the clinic no longer have to apply for a subsidy. As of 1 October, 2024, the USB Cologne will be handling invoices centrally. Further information will follow.

Are you planning an OA publication and would like to know whether cost coverage/discounting through transformation contracts or a grant is possible?
Contact us before submitting your article so that we can check this for you.

Funding conditions for Gold Open Access articles submitted on or after 01.01.2022:

• At the time of submission, you are a member of the University of Cologne and "corresponding author" of the article.
• Only articles in original OA journals ("Golden Path") that apply recognised, strict quality assurance procedures (peer review) in the respective subject can be funded. An overview of such journals is provided, for example, by the DOAJ - Directory of Open Access Journals.
• The article must be of the type "research article". Non-research articles are not eligible.
• Open Access in subscription journals (hybrid or "Open Choice" model) is not subsidised. In some cases, Open Access is covered by transformation contracts (e.g. DEAL project), so you can already publish here free of charge.
  Overview of our contracts with academic publishers >>
• Open Access in mirror journals is not subsidised, even if they can be found in the DOAJ. The mirror journal is a name-like offshoot of a subscription journal and is thus a form of hybrid journal.
• If DFG publication funds are available for the article, the grant should not be claimed. Double funding must be avoided.
• The publications must be provided by the authors with licences that regulate the subsequent use of the publications in a legally secure manner. The DFG recommends CC-BY or CC-BY-SA as the standard.
• Make sure to use your ORCID.
• The funding mechanisms for open access will be further developed in the future. Good quality information helps when analysing articles. Please always indicate your third-party funding in "Funding Acknowledgements" and please adhere to the Publication Guidelines of the University of Cologne.

How to submit your invoice for publication costs:

• The invoices of university members who do not belong to the clinic are paid centrally at the University and City Library Cologne. We check the eligibility of the article and contact you to inquire about third-party funds that you can apply for the publication. Further information on central invoice processing will follow. Please contact us if you have an open access invoice.
• Invoice processing differs for the Uniklinik Köln (University Hospital of Cologne). Please contact us as soon as you receive the invoice.

Form to apply for the publication grant (pdf, 172 kb) for members of the Uniklinik/University Hospital

For questions regarding Open Access publications, please contact: