Swiss National Science Foundation
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) requires grantees to publish their research results on an open-access basis and to submit a data management plan.
Open-access directive
You can fulfil SNSF’s requirement to open access by publishing your articles and books directly via the Gold Road. Or you can make the article or book accessible in an open-access repository alongside the publisher’s publication (Green Road). Articles resulting from SNSF grant applications submitted as of 1 January 2023 must be freely available immediately. For project applications that have been submitted before this date, the rule that articles must be published open access no later than six months after their initial publication still applies. For the publication of books the requirement for open-access publishing not later than twelve months after first being published remains unchanged.
Open-access funding
- ETH members with an SNF grant can submit invoices directly to ChronosHub. The costs will only be covered by the library if the SNF refuses funding.
- The SNSF provides funding to cover article processing charges (APCs) for articles in journals that are exclusively open access.
- Costs for books and book chapters published open access (book processing charges – BPCs) can also be funded. Costs for books from projects not financed by the SNSF are also covered.
- Use the external pageChronosHub platform to apply to have the cost of APCs and BPCs paid for or reimbursed. This is still possible after the end of the project but not later than six months after the publication date.
- Only the costs for articles in journals that are exclusively open access are covered; these are usually listed in the external pageDirectory of Open Access Journals.
- For projects submitted before 2023: If you publish in a subscription journal, you need to self-archive the article in an open-access repository (e.g. the Research Collection) no later than six months after initial publication. Check external pageSHERPA/RoMEO to find out whether the publisher permits self-archiving after six months.
- For projects submitted from 2023 onwards: If you publish in a subscription journal, you must self-archive the article in an open-access repository (e.g. the Research Collection) under a Creative Commons licence at the same time as the first publication. Check in external pageSHERPA/RoMEO whether the publisher allows this.
- For self-archiving of articles in subscription journals whose embargo policy is not compatible with the SNSF requirements the SNSF recommends applying the so-called external pageRights Retention Strategy. The recommended procedure, including a text module, is described in the external pageGuidelines for meeting the OA requirement. Alternatively, you can make use of a fee-based open access option offered by the publisher. In this case, however, you will have to finance the costs from other sources, as the SNSF does not cover APCs for articles in hybrid journals.
- Information on APC management with ChronosHub is available on the external pageSNSF open access website.
Open research data
It is the SNSF’s position that research data should be open and accessible to all. The SNSF requires submission of a data management plan for approved research projects and considers the submission a condition for the release of funds. The SNSF also expects that data produced during research will be made publicly available, provided there are no contrary restrictions of a legal, ethical, copyright or other nature. At a minimum, the data on which publications are based must be made available at the time of publication at the latest.