The exchange of knowledge and the critical examination of results are vital aspects of research. This means that researchers must assimilate the work of others and disseminate their own findings as widely as possible. However, high licence fees for electronic publications often make this exchange of knowledge difficult, particularly at international level, and the research data on which the published results are based often cannot be represented in conventional media, or at least not in a form that is suitable for subsequent in-depth use. 

By contrast, open access publications which are available online free of charge can be consulted without any restrictions, making raw and primary data available for productive reuse. The status of electronic publication varies between disciplines; in some subjects it is controversial, and its development is still in flux. Yet recent experience suggests that open access publications are now cited more frequently than conventional publications and attract considerable attention from the academic community; their comprehensive supporting data provides a broad basis for innovative research. 

So on 22 October 2003 the DFG signed the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, signalling its commitment to supporting the advancement of knowledge by promoting freely accessible online electronic resources. More recently, in 2022, the DFG signed the Action Plan for Diamond Open Access, an initiative by Science Europe, the cOAlition S, OPERAS (a European infrastructure for open science communication in the social sciences and humanities) and the French funding organisation Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR). Furthermore, the DFG supports the principles of the International Science Council with regard to scholarly publishing and the suggestions for reforming academic publishing.

In January 2006, the DFG's Joint Committee adopted a set of guidelines for the publication of results from DFG-funded projects on an open access basis, which was updated in 2020. These guidelines stipulate that if possible, recipients of DFG research grants should make their results available online in digital format and free of charge, either instead of or in addition to traditional publication. The guidelines recommend publication in suitable open access journals or the retroactive provision of previously published papers in open access repositories (cf. DFG form 2.00 – 01/25, section 13.2).

No. The Funding Guidelines (DFG form 2.00 - 01/25) contain the following provision on types of publication:

“DFG grant recipients are requested to publish their project results in open access for the purpose of adequate scholarly communication. The articles in question should either be published directly in quality-assured or recognised specialist open access journals or on open access platforms or, in addition to being published by a publishing company, be entered in discipline-specific or institutional electronic archives (repositories), if possible without a time delay.” (Section 13.2, p. 43).

To promote open access, the DFG works closely with partners in Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. As part of the Digital Information Initiative of the Alliance of Science Organisations, the DFG has supported the introduction of inalienable secondary publication rights. Through organisations and networks such as Knowledge Exchange, Science Europe and the Global Research Council, the DFG is also working at European and international level to influence the transformation of scholarly publishing from a subscription-based to an open access model. In 2022, the DFG signed the Action Plan for Diamond Open Access.

DFG-funded authors can also take advantage of the publication allowances available through individual grants and coordinated programmes to pay the processing fees that may be required by open access journals. 

The DFG also offers funding programmes which can be used to establish open access infrastructures and services:

• Priority Group „Digitality in Science“ of the Alliance of Science Organisations (in German only)
• Knowledge Exchange
• Science Europe
• Global Research Council
• UNESCO
• About the DEAL project
• Information on the implementation of DEAL for authors, libraries and university administrations (DEAL Operations)
• Support for SCOSS/DOAJ
• Support of OAPEN Library (Online library of Open Access Books)

A flat-rate publication allowance can be applied for as part of the proposal to carry out a research project (Module Basic Module, section 2.6). In the case of individual grants, for example, the DFG makes available a publication allowance of €750 of DFG funding per year. This allowance can also be used to pay the fees for the publication of open access journal articles or open access monographs.

If the fees for open access publication exceed the approved publication allowance, then with flexible funding it is possible to increase the publication allowance by reducing the staff funding or allowance for direct project costs within the same grant. 

The DFG does not accept proposals which only request funding for open access publication.

More information about Open Access can be found here.