Key takeaways

  • PLOS Open Access publishing deal
    This new national agreement, starting 1 January 2025, allows Maastricht University and MUMC+ researchers to publish open access in seven PLOS journals without paying APC.
  • Broad institutional participation
    This collaboration includes over thirty Dutch research institutions, encompassing universities, medical centres, research institutes, and clinical hospitals.
  • Simplified process
    Eligible authors need only use their institutional email and affiliation during submission to benefit from the automatic APC waiver.

 

A groundbreaking partnership

The two-year agreement covers publication in seven prominent PLOS journals, including the popular PLOS ONE. As a result, researchers no longer need to process, pay, or claim publication costs when publishing open access in these journals.

This agreement marks the first time such a diverse consortium of Dutch institutions has joined forces for open-access publishing. Participants include universities, university medical centres, universities of applied sciences, research institutes, and—for the first time—seventeen top clinical hospitals, Naturalis, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Institute, and the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation.

Research funders NWO and ZonMw are also participating for the first time in a national open access agreement, covering the costs of articles resulting from their funded projects. 

What this means for researchers

Suppose you’re a corresponding author affiliated with Maastricht University or MUMC+.

In that case, you can publish open access in the following PLOS journals without paying article processing charges (APCs): PLOS ONE, PLOS Complex Systems, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Digital Health, PLOS Genetics, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, and PLOS Pathogens.

How to use this agreement

Before you submit a manuscript to a journal, be sure to firstly:

  1. Check the UM Journal Browser to find out about the arrangements for a journal.
  2. Check our website’s Publishing deals and APC discounts section for information about the publisher’s workflows and discount eligibility.

To benefit from the PLOS arrangement

  • Submit your manuscript to one of the seven PLOS journals the agreement covers.
  • Use your Maastricht University or MUMC+ email address during submission.
  • Select your UM or MUMC+ affiliation when prompted.

The publisher will automatically recognise your eligibility for the APC waiver based on your institutional email and affiliation.

Why this publishing agreement matters

This agreement supports Maastricht University’s commitment to open science by making research freely accessible to readers worldwide. PLOS was chosen as the first full open-access publisher for this national initiative because its journal portfolio appeals to various research institutions. As a non-profit publisher, PLOS strongly embraces open science principles.

For more information about this agreement or other open-access publishing options, please get in touch with our Scholarly Communication support team (see below for contact options).

More information and contact

Further reading

Acknowledgements and sources

 

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