Funding

Books

The SNSF finances the publication of scientific books that are freely accessible without limitations or delays (gold open access). Researchers have the option to publish a printed book at the same time as the OA version.

Peer-reviewed monographs (including dissertations, habilitations, legal commentaries and editions) and anthologies qualify for funding. The cost of publisher services for quality control, book production and distribution are covered by a book processing charge (BPC).

If the SNSF OA commitment is fulfilled via the “green road”, the books and book chapters must be archived in an institutional or disciplinary repository no later than 12 months after their initial publication by the publisher. This is the case if the publication is the result of an SNSF project, but the publication costs are not funded via an SNSF grant.

To submit an application for the funding instrument Open Access Books, please consult the following relevant documents in addition to the conditions of participation and How To described below for each publication type:

Monographs

Participation requirements
  • Monographs are comprehensive, peer-reviewed scientific works. The SNSF includes dissertations, habilitations, legal commentaries and editions in this category. The SNSF does not award grants for textbooks, special issues of journals, conference proceedings, new editions or translations.
  • The monograph must be made available as an open access publication without delay (gold open access).
  • The application is submitted by the author.
  • The SNSF finances monographs that result from an SNSF-funded project as well as monographs that are not linked to an SNSF project.
  • Monographs resulting from an SNSF-funded project can be submitted even after the end of the project by either the grantees themselves or by members of the project team; this is an open-ended option without any time limitation.
  • If applicants apply for BPCs for a monograph that did not result from an SNSF-funded project, they have to meet the general requirements for submitting applications to the SNSF pursuant to Article 10 of the Funding Regulations.
  • The SNSF covers the cost of publisher services for quality control, book production and distribution. The costs are covered by book processing charges (BPCs) that can be applied for via the OA platform (mySNF). For information regarding the amount granted for BPCs and the publisher services covered for each module, please refer to Article 11 of the Regulations on the funding of Open Access publications.
  • A BPC application for a monograph can be submitted as soon as the manuscript has gone through the peer-review process organised by the publisher, the corresponding documentation is available and the manuscript is hence ready for publication.
  • The publisher must obtain at least one independent and meaningful external review in written form and document the peer-review process in a written statement.
  • Monographs must not be published before the SNSF has made its decision.
  • The support provided by the SNSF must be mentioned in the publication (a‪cknowledgement).
  • Grantees whose SNSF grant already includes a sum reserved for publications need to comply with the transitional provisions according to Article 19 of the Regulations on the funding of Open Access publications.
How To
  • BPC applications can be submitted via the OA platform (mySNF) all year round. As part of the application, the documentation of the publisher’s peer review process needs to be submitted along with the latest manuscript (adapted based on the peer-review).
  • Publications that were funded by a BPC grant must be displayed prominently on the publisher’s website. In addition, they must be archived by the author or editor in an institutional or disciplinary repository. The SNSF forwards the metadata to the National Library and the OAPEN library.
  • All publications that were funded by a BPC grant must be assigned a creative commons licence. A CC BY-NC-ND (creative commons: created by, non-commercial, no derivative) is the minimum requirement. The SNSF recommends using the CC-BY licence.
  • All publications that were funded by a BPC grant are assigned a DOI number (digital object identifier). If further versions are published in addition to the version supported by the SNSF (e.g. a printed book), a separate ISBN must be allocated for each version.
Evaluation and decision

The applications are generally evaluated within two months.

Submission deadlines

Applications can be submitted all year round.

Contact

Book processing charges (BPCs)

E-mail pub@snf.ch

Documents

Dissertation and habilitation

Participation requirements
  • Doctoral theses and habilitations are regarded as monographs if they were processed by a publisher for publication as a monograph.
  • The monograph must be made available as an open access publication without delay (gold open access).
  • The application is submitted by the author.
  • The SNSF finances doctoral theses and habilitations, whether they are linked to an SNSF-funded project or not.
  • Doctoral theses and habilitations that result from an SNSF-funded project can be submitted even after the end of the project by the author; this is an open-ended option without any time limitation.
  • If applicants apply for BPC coverage for a doctoral thesis or a habilitation that is not the result of an SNSF-funded project, the doctoral thesis or habilitation must have been defended and accepted at a Swiss university.
  • The SNSF pays for publisher services involving quality control, book production and distribution. The costs are covered by book processing charges (BPCs) that can be applied for via the OA platform (mySNF). For information regarding the amount granted for BPCs and the publisher services covered for each module, please refer to Article 11 of the Regulations on the funding of Open Access publications.
  • The publishers may use the reviews by the higher education institutions for the peer-review process.
  • A BPC application for a doctoral thesis or a habilitation may be submitted as soon as   the publisher’s reviews and statement on the changes to the manuscript are available and the manuscript is ready for publication.
  • Doctoral theses and habilitations must not be published before the SNSF has made its decision.
  • The support provided by the SNSF must be mentioned in the publication (a‪cknowledgement).
  • Grantees whose grant already includes a sum reserved for publications need to comply with the transitional provisions according to Article 19 of the Regulations on the funding of Open Access publications.
How To
  • BPC applications can be submitted via the OA platform (mySNF) all year round. As part of the application, the documentation of the publisher’s peer review process needs to be submitted along with the latest manuscript (adapted based on the peer-review).
  • Publications that were funded by a BPC grant must be displayed prominently on the publisher’s website. In addition, they must be archived by the author or editor in an institutional or disciplinary repository. The SNSF forwards the metadata to the National Library and the OAPEN library.
  • All publications that were funded by a BPC grant must be assigned a creative commons licence. A CC BY-NC-ND (creative commons: created by, non-commercial, no derivative) is the minimum requirement. The SNSF recommends using the CC-BY licence.
  • All publications that were funded by a BPC grant are assigned a DOI number (digital object identifier). If further versions are published in addition to the version supported by the SNSF (e.g. a printed book), a separate ISBN must be allocated for each version.
Evaluation and decision

The applications are generally evaluated within two months.

Submission deadlines

Applications can be submitted all year round.

Contact

Book processing charges (BPCs)

E-mail pub@snf.ch

Documents

Anthologies

Participation requirements
  • Anthologies are defined as peer-reviewed scientific works on a particular topic that is the responsibility of an editor or team of editors and that consist of contributions from different authors, for which each is individually responsible.
  • The anthology must be made available as an open access publication without delay (gold open access).
  • Applications for anthologies must be submitted by the responsible editor or by a member of the editorial team. He or she must meet the general requirements pursuant to Article 10 of the Funding Regulations.
  • The SNSF covers the cost of publisher services for quality control, book production and distribution. The costs are covered by book processing charges (BPCs) that can be applied for via the OA platform (mySNF). Details of the BPC grant amount and the publishing services of each module are set out in Article 11 of the Regulations on the funding of Open Access publications.
  • A BPC application for an anthology can be submitted as soon as the manuscript has been through the peer-review process organised by the publisher, the corresponding documentation is available and the manuscript is hence ready for publication.
  • The publisher must obtain at least one independent and meaningful external review in written form and document the peer-review process in a written statement.
  • The anthology must not be published before the SNSF has made its decision.
  • The support provided by the SNSF must be mentioned in the publication (a‪cknowledgement).
  • Grantees whose grant already includes a sum reserved for publications need to comply with the transitional provisions according to Article 19 of the Regulations on the funding of Open Access publications.
How To
  • BPC applications can be submitted via the OA platform (mySNF) all year round. As part of the application, the documentation of the publisher’s peer review process needs to be submitted along with the latest manuscript (adapted based on the peer-review).
  • Publications that were funded by a BPC grant must be displayed prominently on the publisher’s website. In addition, they must be archived by the author or editor in an institutional or disciplinary repository. The SNSF forwards the metadata to the National Library and the OAPEN library.
  • All publications that were funded by a BPC grant must be assigned a creative commons licence. A CC BY-NC-ND (creative commons: created by, non-commercial, no derivative) is the minimum requirement. The SNSF recommends using the CC-BY licence.
  • All publications that were funded by a BPC grant are assigned a DOI number (digital object identifier). If further versions are published in addition to the version supported by the SNSF (e.g. a printed book), a separate ISBN must be allocated for each version.
Evaluation and decision

The applications are generally evaluated within two months.

Submission deadlines

Applications can be submitted all year round.

Contact

Book processing charges (BPCs)

E-mail pub@snf.ch

Documents

Editor

Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
Wildhainweg 3
Postfach
CH-3001 Berne
Phone +41 31 308 22 22
E-mail oa@snf.ch

Disclaimer

Legal base