Open Access Fund

Wellesley College Open Access Fund Guidelines

In order to facilitate public and immediate access to the outstanding research performed by Wellesley College faculty, Wellesley College Library and Technology Services (LTS) will provide funds to defray the cost of article processing charges (APCs) for scholarship that appears in open access publications. 

LTS encourages cost sharing of APCs whenever possible. Funding may also be available through individual departments or external sources. 

Please consult the following FAQ for details about this program. 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for funding?

Please complete the Google form found here.
 

Is there a funding cap?

LTS will provide funding up to $2000 per request.
 

How are funds distributed?

Once the form is completed, the CIO & Associate Provost, in consultation with the Director of Library Collections, will contact you with further information.
 

How are requests evaluated?

In order to qualify for funds under this program, scholarship must be made fully open access immediately upon publication and not subject to embargo. 

Some publishers of open access journals do not employ standard practices like peer review and editing services and are known as "predatory publishers”. Their journals fall outside the scope of this program. 

If you have questions about whether a specific publication is eligible under this program, please contact openaccess@wellesley.edu.
 

Are there any additional compliance requirements for receiving funds through the Open Access Fund?

All articles funded under this program must also be submitted for publication in the Wellesley College Digital Repository.  Final published versions of the articles can be sent as an attachment to repository@wellesley.edu for inclusion. 

All articles funded under this program must be published during the author's term of employment at the College to be eligible for funding.

It is also suggested that recipients of this funding credit the Open Access Fund in the article’s acknowledgements with a statement similar to the following: “The publication fees for this article were supported by the Wellesley College Library and Technology Services Open Access Fund."