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Summary

To assist potential authors, BioMed Central has collated the following information from major funders of biomedical research:

  • whether they explicitly allow payment of article processing charges for open access publication (either from grants, or from a separate fund)
  • whether they have signed one of the major declarations in support of open access (Berlin, Bethesda, Budapest)
  • whether they have published an official policy statement encouraging open access
  • whether their open access policy encourages or requires deposit of research articles in an open access repository

This information is based on a survey of funders carried out by BioMed Central in late 2005, together with information taken from publicly available statements. We have so far been able to obtain information on open access policies from 35 of the 79 funders listed.

Summary

  • 38 funders have confirmed that they are willing to fund article processing charges
  • 16 funders are signatories of one of the major international declarations in support of open access
  • 34 funders have an official policy in support of open access
  • 31 of these funder policies request or in some cases require funding recipients to deposit resulting research articles in an open access repository

Not all funders have yet provided information about their open access policy, and so gaps remain in the information below. If you can help fill those gaps, or if your funder is not listed, please let us know.
Send details of any additions or corrections to: info@biomedcentral.com     
Last update: April 2009

International            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
British Council   - - -  
Caribbean Health Research Council (CHRC)   - - -  
European Commission (FP7) tick Grant funds may be used  - tick
Policy
tick
Required, 6 or 12 month embargo (max)
European Research Council (ERC) tick Grant funds may be used  - tick
Policy
tick
Required, 6 month embargo (max)
Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP) Grant funds may be used - - -  
TWAS: The Academy of Science for the Developing World   - - -  
             
Argentina            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)   - - -  
Fundacion ANTORCHAS   - - -  
             
Australia            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Australian Research Council (ARC)   - tick
Policy
tick
Requested - non-deposit must be justified
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)   - tick
Policy
tick Requested - non-deposit must be justified
             
Austria            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF) Additional funds available
Berlin
tick
Policy
tick  Required - 6 month embargo (max)
             
Belgium            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS)  
Berlin
- -  
Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO) Grant funds may be used
Berlin
tick
Policy
tick Required, 1 year embargo (max)
             
Brazil            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
FAPESP Separate central fund available for in-house research - -  
National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)   - - -  
             
Canada            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance (CBCRA)
tick Grant funds may be used. -

tick
Policy

tick Requested (6 month embargo max).
Canadian Health Services Research Foundation Grant funds may be used. -

tick
Policy

tick Required (6 month embargo max). Open access on publisher's site is also allowed.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research Grant funds may be used. -

tick
Policy

tick Required (6 month embargo max). Open access on publisher's site is also allowed.
National Cancer Institute of Canada questionmark  Grant funds may be used. - tick
Policy
 
tick  Required (6 month embargo max) - effective from July 2009.
National Research Council questionmark    - tick
Policy
 
tick  Required - effective from January 2009.
             
Chile            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Fondo Nacional De Desarrollo Cientifico Y Tecnologico (FONDECYT)   - - -  
Iniciativa Cientifica Milenio   - - -  
             
China            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)  
Berlin
- -  
Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)  
Berlin
- -  
             
Denmark            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Danish National Research Council Grant funds may be used - -  
             
Finland            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Academy of Finland Additional funds available to cover APC payments - -  
             
France            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) Additional funds available to cover APC payments
Berlin

Policy

Encouraged
INSERM Grant funds may be used. Separate central fund available.
Berlin

Policy
Encouraged
Institut Pasteur   - - -  
             
Germany            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Grant funds may be used
Berlin

Policy
Requested
Max Planck Society Grant funds may be used. Additional funds available in some cases
Berlin

Policy
Encouraged
             
Greece            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
National Hellenic Research Foundation  
Berlin
- -  
             
India            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Indian Council of Medical Research Grant funds may be used - - -  
             
Ireland            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Health Research Board Grant funds may be used - - -  
             
Israel            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Israel Science Foundation Grant funds may be used - - -  
             
Italy            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) Additional funds available -  
Telethon Grant funds may be used - -  
             
Jamaica            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Scientific Research Council   - - -  
             
Japan            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS; Gakushin)   - - -  
             
Lebanon            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
National Council for Scientific Research Lebanon (CNRS)   - - -  
             
Lithuania            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Science Council of Lithuania   - - -  
             
Malaysia            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Academy of Sciences Malaysia/ Akademi Sains Malaysia (Scientific Advancement Fund Allocation (SAGA) Secretariat)   - - -  
             
Mexico            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT)   - - -  
             
Netherlands            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO) Grant funds may be used
Berlin
- -  
             
New Zealand            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Health Research Council of New Zealand   - - -  
             
Norway            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Research Council of Norway   -
Policy

 
Required (in compliance with publisher-specified embargo, if any)
             
Poland            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
State Committee for Scientific Research (KBN)   - - -  
             
Portugal            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)   - - -  
             
Russia            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Russian Foundation for Basic Research   - - -  
Russian Human Science Fund   - - -  
             
Singapore            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR)   - - -  
             
South Africa            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
National Research Foundation Grant funds may be used - - -  
South African Medical Research Council Grant funds may be used - - -  
             
Spain            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Consejo Superior de Invesigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Separate central fund available - - -  
             
Sweden            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Official policy on OA OA deposit policy  
Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research Grant funds may be used - - -  
Swedish Research Council Grant funds may be used
Berlin
- -  
             
Switzerland            
Funder
Article Processing Charges
 
OA
declarations
Offi