Overview
Publication of faculty scholarship in academically respected open or fee-based venues is among the most important and valuable contributions of a comprehensive research university. In some cases, following a rigorous peer review that recommends publication, subvention funding is required to meet the total publishing costs, which may range from $2,000-$6,000. In other cases, open access publishing – which refers to free and unrestricted online access to scholarly publications – sometimes also requires subvention funding. Open access increases the visibility, readership, and impact of an author's works, democratizing access across all institutions, regardless of size or budget. Open access publications are free for all readers, but publishing is not free. A variety of open access payment models exist, and sometimes the costs are the responsibility of the author or their associated institution.
Colleges, departments, and individuals are expected to fund publication costs via external grants and Sponsored Research Incentive (SRI). However, the university recognizes that such funding may not be available or sufficient in all cases, particularly for disciplines that have limited access to external support. Consequently, Research Publication Subvention Funding helps ensure that all peer-reviewed scholarly work produced at OU is formally published.
The University of Oklahoma Libraries (OU Libraries) administers subvention funding for the following types of publications, and applications must be received prior to publication. Requests for additional information can be directed to scholarlycommunication@ou.edu.
Subvention Funding for Books
Applicants are encouraged to discuss funding availability and process with college and department representatives before submitting an application for subvention funding. Note that fiscal year (FY) eligibility is determined by when an application is received. Unused amounts will not roll over to future years. In the case of a book with multiple authors, each eligible author may apply for departmental reimbursement.
| Publication Type | Maximum FY Funding Available | Eligibility | Funder(s) and Required Acknowledgment | Costs Covered and Additional Guidelines |
| Book Page Charges | $3,000 per author | Tenure-track, tenured, research, renewable term, and emeriti faculty, and permanent professional/technical staff members holding the terminal degree appropriate to their discipline (Norman campus & Norman campus programs at OU-Tulsa) | Funders: Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships (OVPRP) and Office of the Provost Required Acknowledgment: "Financial support was provided from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships and the Office of the Provost, University of Oklahoma." |
Costs covered: Typesetting, printing, editing, indexing, translation, recording, mixing, images/graphics, permissions/rights, production subvention, open access fees This funding is designed to be a 4-way split between the OVPRP, the Office of the Provost, the college and the department. The OVPRP and the Office of the Provost will each provide 25% of the subvention cost, up to the combined maximum stated. Applicants are responsible for securing the remaining funding from their college and department, and are encouraged to discuss funding availability and process with college and department representatives before submitting an application for subvention funding. |
| Open Access Books | $15,000 per book |
Tenure-track, tenured, research, renewable term, and emeriti faculty; post-docs; staff (Norman campus & Norman campus programs at OU-Tulsa) | Funders: Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences (DFCAS), Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships (OVPRP), and OU Libraries Required Acknowledgment: "Financial support was provided from the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships, and University Libraries, University of Oklahoma." |
Proposals for new books will be evaluated biannually (mid-October and mid-March). Those utilizing a university press will receive greater consideration. Previously published works are ineligible. One award each year is reserved for eligible DFCAS faculty members. |
Open Access Books Publisher may be listed in the DOAB. Publisher must be a member of OASPA or adhere to its Code of Conduct. |
$2,000 per author (for applications received on or after July 1, 2023) | Tenure-track, tenured, research, renewable term, and emeriti faculty; post-docs; staff; students (Norman campus & Norman campus programs at OU-Tulsa) | Funder: OU Libraries Required Acknowledgment: “Financial support was provided by the OU Libraries' Open Access Fund” |
Costs covered: Open access book fees |
Subvention Funding for Journal Articles
Applicants are encouraged to discuss funding availability and process with college and department representatives before submitting an application for subvention funding. Note that fiscal year (FY) eligibility is determined by when an application is received. Unused amounts will not roll over to future years. In the case of an article with multiple authors, each eligible author may apply for departmental reimbursement.
| Publication Type | Maximum FY Funding Available | Eligibility | Funder(s) | Costs Covered and Additional Guidelines |
| Journal Page Charges | $3,000 per author | Tenure-track, tenured, research, renewable term, and emeriti faculty, and permanent professional/technical staff members holding the terminal degree appropriate to their discipline (Norman campus & Norman campus programs at OU-Tulsa) | Funders: Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships (OVPRP) and Office of the Provost Required Acknowledgment: "Financial support was provided from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships and the Office of the Provost, University of Oklahoma." |
Costs covered: Typesetting, printing, editing, indexing, translation, recording, mixing, images/graphics, permissions/rights, production subvention, journal page charges, front cover illustrations This funding is designed to be a 4-way split between the OVPRP, the Office of the Provost, the college and the department. The OVPRP and the Office of the Provost will each provide 25% of the subvention cost, up to the combined maximum stated. Applicants are responsible for securing the remaining funding from their college and department, and are encouraged to discuss funding availability and process with college and department |
| Hybrid Open Access Articles Individual articles made openly available in a paywalled journal. |
$1,500 per author |
Tenure-track, tenured, research, renewable term, and emeriti faculty, and permanent professional/technical staff members holding the terminal degree appropriate to their discipline (Norman campus & Norman campus programs at OU-Tulsa) | Funders: Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships (OVPRP) and Office of the Provost Required Acknowledgment: "Financial support was provided from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships and the Office of the Provost, University of Oklahoma." |
Costs covered: Article processing charges (APC) This funding is designed to be a 4-way split between the OVPRP, the Office of the Provost, the college and the department. The OVPRP and the Office of the Provost will each provide 25% of the subvention cost, up to the combined maximum stated. Applicants are responsible for securing the remaining funding from their college and department, and are encouraged to discuss funding availability and process with college and department representatives before submitting an application for subvention funding. |
| Open Access Articles Journal must appear in DOAJ. All articles in open access journals are openly available upon publication. |
$2,000 per author (for applications received on or after July 1, 2023) |
Tenure-track, tenured, research, renewable term, and emeriti faculty; post-docs; staff; students (Norman campus & Norman campus programs at OU-Tulsa) | Funder: OU Libraries Required Acknowledgment: “Financial support was provided by the OU Libraries' Open Access Fund” |
Costs covered: Open access fees |
Applying for Subvention Funding
Please review all information provided on this page before applying for subvention funding. Applicants must complete the form linked below prior to publication.
For faculty seeking subvention funding for book or journal page charges: only works that have undergone a rigorous peer review within high quality venues, and only works without other means of publication support, such as external grants or department and college resources, will be eligible. The form requires that applicants provide the following:
- describe the requirement for funds
- describe the funding sources that are being pursued both at OU and external to OU
- for books, the author must provide a statement from the publisher indicating their commitment to publish the work and confirming both review and funding requirement
Please note:
- authors are required to acknowledge the funder(s) within the final publication. Applicants will be notified of the required form of acknowledgment when their funding is approved
- book authors must provide one copy of the book to OU Libraries.
For applicants seeking funding to support publication costs associated with open access journals and books: only works without other means of publication support, such as external grants or department and college resources, will be eligible.
Please note:
- published works must be licensed with a Creative Commons license
- a copy of the work will be posted by OU Libraries personnel in the university's institutional repository, SHAREOK, for maximum visibility and preservation
- authors are required to acknowledge the funder(s) within the final publication. Applicants will be notified of the required form of acknowledgment when their funding is approved.
For all applicants: Funding applications are reviewed by the OU Libraries. Applicants are notified via email of the funding decision within two weeks. Please note that applicants for the Open Access Books funding provided by the Libraries, DFCAS, and VPRP will be notified after the biannual proposal evaluation process has been completed.
Reimbursement is made after publication and proper documentation of publication fees payment is received. Documentation must indicate payment from a university fund in the form of a copy of the OU Activity Report showing the expenditure line and cash line with the full chartfield spread. We are unable to reimburse payments made with a personal credit card, personal check, or similar form of personal payment, or from institutions other than OU, and we are unable to reimburse in excess of the invoiced amount. Applicants are responsible for securing the remaining funding from their college and department, and are encouraged to discuss funding availability and process with college and department representatives before submitting an application for subvention funding. Reimbursement requirements are explained in full when funding is approved.
Complete and submit the Application for Subvention Funding.