Swiss fund open-access grants

Researchers funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation have begun applying for grants to cover open-access publication fees, as the Europe-wide push to overhaul scientific communication continues.

While open-access publishing costs are covered by many funders as part of their research grants, it is unusual to see grants designed specifically to make individual papers free upon publication. 

As national funders continue to sign up to the European Commission’s ambitious Plan S—which demands immediate open-access publication of research results—the Swiss move is being watched closely. This is partly because the high direct cost to researchers who have to pay article processing charges to journals for open-access publications is a major complaint of Plan S critics.