Updates on Open Access (including new Oxford policy for RCUK block grant) — University of Oxford, Medical Sciences Division

"Research Committee has approved a revised policy for allocating funds from Oxford’s RCUK Open Access block grant, in order to best manage the limited funds remaining in our 2017/18 RCUK block grant. The new policy took effect on Monday 21 August 2017 and prioritises Article Processing Charges (APCs) for fully open access journals.

RCUK-funded authors remain free to choose where to publish their work, but with ‘hybrid’ journals should use the green route rather than the (paid) Open Access option, by depositing the accepted manuscript in ORA for Act on Acceptance. MRC-funded authors of green route articles should also upload the manuscript into EuropePMC.

RCUK policy allows longer embargoes (12 months for Science) if the block grant runs out; in Biomedicine the 6 month embargo remains. See RCUK’s FAQ 2.2, ‘What happens if there is no money to pay…?’). For journals which exceed the permitted (or extended) embargoes, Oxford’s position is that RCUK-funded authors should take the Green route regardless, given the financial constraints."