Establishing a central open access fund

The purpose of this paper is to provide detailed information on how the University of Nottingham established a central fund to pay for open access publication of research coming out of the university in direct response to mandates from research funders.

This case study looks into the steps taken by the University of Nottingham to establish a central, institutional fund for the payment of article processing charges (APC) for open access publications. It also examines the initialisation of processes to support investigators at the university in disseminating their research to a global community. The materials included in the case study were the result of interviews with key stakeholders and the review of policy documents from the university.

The case study demonstrates that a great deal of cooperation among departments is needed in order to establish a central fund for open access publishing.

The University of Nottingham Central Fund is one of the earliest such funds. While this case study provides an excellent road map for establishing future funds, some challenges will be peculiar to individual institutions.

The paper provides detailed information on how a central fund to pay for open access publication of research coming out of a university in direct response to mandates from research funders can be established.