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Open Access Article Processing Charge (APC) waivers

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The Open Access Article Processing Charge (APC) Waiver Program at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is an initiative designed to support the university's academic community in publishing high-quality research through open-access platforms. By covering APC fees for eligible publications, this program encourages greater accessibility, visibility, and impact of USM’s scholarly output.

In collaboration with publishers and funders, this program aims to reduce financial barriers to publishing in reputable open-access journals, allowing researchers to share their findings with a global audience without paywall restrictions.

The APC Waiver Program is managed by the USM Library and operates on a limited token allocation provided by the publishers and funders. It reflects USM’s ongoing commitment to promoting open science and fostering research excellence.

For more information and application details, visit:
👉 https://lib.usm.my/apc

Springer Nature

Dear USM Researchers,
As a corresponding author affiliated with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), you are eligible to publish your article as open access (OA) with the publication fees fully covered under the Transformative Agreement between Springer Nature and the Konsortium Sumber Elektronik Pendidikan Tinggi (KONSEPt).
USM is one of more than 20 institutions participating in this initiative, allowing that researchers affiliated with the university to publish OA in Springer Nature's portfolio of hybrid journals at no cost. Take advantage of this opportunity to increase the visibility and accessibility of your research while benefiting from comprehensive access to high-quality academic resources.
 
Criteria and Conditions for APC Application:
 
  1. APC funding is available only for active USM academic staff who are the corresponding authors.
  2. Funding is only provided for articles published within the current year in Q1 or Q2 journals (SCIE/SSCI/AHCI), as listed by Springer Nature, across both science and non-science fields.
  3. The Q1 or Q2 journal must be listed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and the quartile ranking must be based on the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) (not the Journal Citation Index (JCI)) issued by JCR for the current year.
  4. For APC application with articles that were received by the publisher before 20 June 2025, the USM Library will refer to the quartile (Q) ranking as per the 2023 listing.  Therefore, if a journal has changed its quartile from Q1 to Q2 (as reflected in the 2024 list, for example), articles received by the publisher before 20 June 2025 will still be considered as Q1 journals.
  5. Once the article is editorially accepted, the corresponding author will receive an invitation email to complete the publishing agreement.
  6. Approval will be granted after all criteria and information are reviewed and is subject to the availability of tokens provided by Spinger Nature.
  7. Further information can be found at https://lib.usm.my/apc

Faqs

1. Who is eligible to apply for APC funding?

APC funding is only available to active academic staff of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) who are also the corresponding authors of the article.

2. Which journals are eligible for APC funding support?

Only articles published in Q1 or Q2 journals (SCIE or SSCI or AHCI) under Springer Nature are eligible. The journal must:

  • Be listed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), with quartile ranking based on the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) (not the JCI),

  • Be published by Springer as shown in the publisher field on the JCR website, and

  • Be included in the official Springer journal list, available here:
    👉 https://link.springer.com/journals/a/1

3. Is there a time limit for eligible publications?

Yes. APC funding is applicable only for articles published within the current year.

4. What happens if my article was received by the publisher before 20 June 2025?

For articles received by the publisher before 20 June 2025, the 2023 JCR quartile rankings will be used for eligibility.
For example, if a journal was ranked Q1 in 2023 but is now Q2 in 2024, it will still be considered Q1 for applications involving pre-20 June 2025 submissions.

5. How can I check if my journal is in Q1 or Q2?

You can check the quartile ranking (Q1/Q2) of your target journal by visiting the Journal Citation Reports (JCR):
👉 https://jcr.clarivate.com/jcr/home
Make sure to refer to the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) and the current year’s ranking unless the article was received by the publisher before 20 June 2025.

6. When can I apply for APC funding?

You may apply once your article has been editorially accepted. Upon acceptance, the corresponding author will receive an invitation to complete the publishing agreement.

7. Is APC funding automatically granted upon meeting the criteria?

No. Approval is subject to review of all eligibility criteria and is dependent on the availability of tokens provided by Springer Nature. Funding is not guaranteed.

8. Where can I find more information or apply for APC funding?

Detailed information and the application procedure are available at the USM Library APC portal:
👉 https://lib.usm.my/apc

Contact us

Research Data Management Division,
Hamzah Sendut Library,
Universiti Sains Malaysia.

04-653 4000/6227/6317
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