Open Access requirement in NCN-funded projects

We would like to draw your attention to the rules concerning the requirement to publish in Open Access that the National Science Centre (NCN) has introduced for funding starting from the calls for proposals announced in June 2020.

We provide a brief overview of the three dedicated publication routes recognized by NCN:

1. Open Access journals: Publication in Open Access journals or platforms that are registered (or in the process of registration) in the DOAJ, meaning that these journals adhere to Open Access standards.
2. Subscription journals (hybrid journals): Publication in subscription journals containing both Open Access and subscriber-only articles. The article must either be published in Open Access, or the VoR or the AAM must be deposited in an open repository immediately upon the article’s online publication (without any embargo period), with a unique persistent identifier (e.g., DOI, URN, UUID, Handle, or other). A list of acceptable repositories can be found in the Open Directory of Open Access Repositories: OpenDOAR (opens in a new tab) .
3. Transformative journals: Publication in journals covered by transformative agreements and listed in the ESAC registry. This applies to transformative journals aiming to transition to a full Open Access model.

For more information on the publication routes presented above, please see the Order of the Director of the National Science Centre (PDF, opens in a new tab) .

These changes are crucial during the planning process of new research projects, especially in the context of publications, their funding, and the selection of scientific journals. Importantly, the requirement to publish in Open Access should be considered at the application stage.

In particular, it may be necessary to provide funding (outside the NCN project) to cover Article Processing Charges (APCs) in hybrid journals (route 2).

Potential funding sources

• UW microgrants: Offered by the University of Warsaw to fund Open Access publications, provided they are published in recognized scientific journals. As announced by the Rector, there will be no limit on the annual number of such microgrants per author. More information: UW microgrants – information page (opens in a new tab) .
• Project indirect costs: Funding may also be derived from the project’s indirect costs, within the amount at the Principal Investigator’s disposal.

Please keep the above regulations in mind and take the NCN policy into consideration when planning your publications. Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Prof. Mikołaj Czajkowski, the Vice-Dean for Research. The Research and Publications Office can also support you in this matter.