Research Support and Open Access

Many funders have an Open Access policy which requires authors to publish their research Open Access on or soon after publication.

It is important to check the terms and conditions of any funding to ensure that you understand any Open Access requirements and plan for this as early as possible when conducting your research.

Failure to comply with funder open access policies may put future funding at risk, as well as risking reputational damage to you as an individual and to the institution. If you need help understanding what you need to do to comply with your funder policy, contact us at openaccess@newman.ac.uk.

• UKRI – Research England, Innovate UK and the seven research councils:
  • Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
  • Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
  • Medical Research Council (MRC
  • Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
• Wellcome Trust
• Versus Arthritis
• Blood Cancer UK
• British Heart Foundation
• Cancer Research UK
• Parkinson’s UK
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• World Health Organisation

• Requirement for the final published version of your work to be made Gold Open Access
• Permitted embargo periods for Green Open Access
• Requirement for you to post a version of your research in a specific subject repository
• Requirement to include a data access statement or to share your data
• Licencing, many funders have a preference for a CC BY licence
• Requirement to post your research in a pre-print repository

Once you understand your funders open access requirements, you will need to find a publisher whose Open Access and publication policies match your funder's policy.

• You can compare your funder's policy against a journal's open access or publication policies using the Sherpa Fact tool.
• For chapters and monographs, you will need to check individual publishers' sites for guidance.

There may be more than one route available to comply with your funder's open access policy. To find out more about how Birmingham Newman University can help, check the following guides:

• Publishing Gold Open Access, including information on any financial help Birmingham Newman University can offer you to cover the costs of making your work Open Access.
• Publishing Green Open Access, including information on publishing in Birmingham Newman University's repository for free, and help understanding embargo limits and Rights Retention Statements (RRS).