Open access agreements for individual institutions

Information for authors

To support authors in publishing open access (OA), Springer Nature partners with institutions globally to provide flexible agreements that help cover OA publication costs (known as article processing charges, or APCs). These agreements allow authors from eligible institutions to publish in Springer Nature’s fully OA journals across BMC, Springer, Discover, Palgrave Macmillan and the Nature portfolio with financial support from their institution.

Depending on the terms of the agreement, your institution may offer:

  • Full APC coverage - 100% of the APC is paid by the institution
  • A percentage discount - e.g. 10% off the list price APC
  • Fixed price coverage - e.g. up to €1,000 paid by the institution
Palgrave Macmillan 20 px
Nature Research 25 px
Springer 20 px
BMC Logo 20 px

Participating institutions A-Z by country

Explore existing institutional agreements below - note the ''✓'' for which journal brands are included in the agreement. For more information on your institution's criteria and journal selection, please reach out to your librarian.

Australia

InstitutionsBioMed CentralNature PortfolioPalgrave MacmillanSpringer

Victoria University

Colombia

InstitutionsBioMed CentralNature PortfolioPalgrave MacmillanSpringer

Universidad del Rosario

India

InstitutionsBioMed CentralNature PortfolioPalgrave MacmillanSpringer

Birla Institute of Technology and Science

Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education 

Siksha 'O' Anusandhan

Symbiosis International University

SRM Institute of Science & Technology 

Vellore Institute of Technology

Israel

InstitutionsBioMed CentralNature PortfolioPalgrave MacmillanSpringer

Weizmann Institute of Science

-

-

Italy

InstitutionsBioMed CentralNature PortfolioPalgrave MacmillanSpringer

University of Padua - Università degli Studi di Padova

-

-

-

Malaysia

InstitutionsBMCNature PortfolioPalgrave MacmillanSpringer

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

University of Padjadjaran

Norway

InstitutionsBioMed CentralNature PortfolioPalgrave MacmillanSpringer

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

NTNU – The Norwegian University of Science and Technology

UiB University of Bergen, Norway

South Africa

InstitutionsBioMed CentralNature PortfolioPalgrave MacmillanSpringer

North-West University

Stellenbosch University

Spain

InstitutionsBioMed CentralNature PortfolioPalgrave MacmillanSpringer

Servei Català de la Salut

Switzerland

InstitutionsBioMed CentralNature PortfolioPalgrave MacmillanSpringer

ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich)

-

-

FAQs

Who is considered the corresponding author?

The corresponding author is defined as the person who handles the manuscript and correspondence during the publication process – from manuscript correction and proof reading, to handling the revisions and re-submission of revised manuscripts up to the acceptance of the manuscripts. 

The corresponding author has the authority to act on behalf of all co-authors in all matters pertaining to publication of the manuscript including supplementary material. They are also responsible for obtaining such agreements and for informing the co-authors of the manuscript’s status throughout the submission, review and publication process. 

In addition, the corresponding author acts as the point of contact for any enquiries after the paper is published.

How can I identify myself as an eligible author?

When you submit, use at least one of the below methods of recognition.

Agreement author identification img © Springer Nature

Upon acceptance of your article, you'll also be prompted to provide your institutional affiliation.

How do I know if my article has been approved?

The approval manager at your institution will approve your article's eligibility based on your institutional affiliation, article title and journal name.

Once your article is approved by your institution, you will be notified by email and your article will proceed to publication.

What if I'm not covered by the agreement?

There are still plenty of ways to find funding for your article processing charge (APC). Visit our open access funding page to check whether your institution or research funder makes OA funding available.

How do I know if my article is eligible?

If your article has the structure of a standard article and contains original research, it should be eligible. This will be approved by your institution.

Is this the same as Springer Compact?

Springer Compact is a read and publish agreement covering Springer hybrid journals. To find a list of participating institutions and eligible journals, please visit Springer's Read and Publish (Compact) agreement page.

Is this the same as Springer Nature membership?

Springer Nature membership is applicable to BMC and SpringerOpen journals only, and does not apply to any Nature.com, Palgrave Macmillan, or Springer hybrid journals.

Over 500 institutions are part of Springer Nature’s membership program for journals in the BMC and SpringerOpen portfolios. Member institutions actively support open access by arranging fully-prepaid or discounted APCs for their affiliated researchers. To check if your institution is a member, please visit our membership pages for BMC and SpringerOpen.

Who can I contact for more information? 

Please email us at oa.verification@springernature.com if you need further assistance.