Grant call: Strengthening no-fee open access publishing in Africa

Posted: April 29, 2024

EIFL, AJOL (African Journals Online) and WACREN (the West and Central African Research and Education Network) invite African organizations - legal entities that own open access (OA) journals that do not charge any fees for either authors or readers (often referred to as Diamond OA journals), and where editorial teams are based - to participate in this call for proposals.

This is the first of two open calls for proposals that aim to enhance the quality and strengthen the sustainability of Diamond OA publishing in Africa, while maintaining its diversity. The calls are part of a three-year project launched in November 2023 with funding from Wellcome.

Earlier this year, we shared two surveys asking the Diamond OA publishing community in Africa to respond to questions about their challenges and needs. Responses received have been used to guide us in developing this call and we would like to thank everyone who contributed.

Eligibility criteria

Applications can only be submitted by African organizations - legal entities, e.g. universities, research institutes, learned/academic societies and other public non-profit institutions registered in Africa that own Diamond OA journals and where editorial teams are based, and / or manage platforms that host Diamond OA journals. An organization may submit a maximum of one application.

Organizations can apply for support for a single Diamond OA journal or more than one Diamond OA journal they publish. We also invite applications from organizations hosting journal platforms that include Diamond OA journals.

Maximum funding available per project proposal:

If you are applying for a single journal, the requested amount must not exceed 20,000 USD
If you are applying for more than one journal or a journals hosting platform, the requested amount must not exceed 30,000 USD

Projects should last no longer than 12 months, and should start from October 2024.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 GMT on June 17, 2024.

See the full details about eligibility, and guidance on application requirements and procedures for applying. The application form is available in English, French and Portuguese.

To support organizations that wish to apply, we have scheduled five online sessions for you to ask questions about the call. The sessions are open to all potential applicants -