Open Access & Institutional Repository: UKRI longform outputs

UKRI Open Access Policy for Long Form Outputs

In scope longform outputs published from 1 January 2024 acknowledging UKRI funding need to be made Open Access within 12 months of publication

You must make your longform output open access within 12-months of publication and use an open licence. The core requirements of the policy are:​

• Your final Version of Record or Author’s Accepted Manuscript must be free to view and download via an online publication platform, publisher’s website, or institutional or subject repository within a maximum of 12 months of publication;​
• Images, illustrations, tables and other supporting content should be included in the open access version, where possible;​
• The open access version of your publication must have a Creative Commons licence

Please complete our tracking form if you are considering publishing a chapter, monograph or edited collection acknowledging UKRI funding.

This will allow us to give you personalised guidance.

Please fill in the form whether you are considering submitting a proposal, if you have already had conversations with publishers, or if you have signed a contract.

UKRI longform output tracking form

Completing the form will allow us to talk through your open access options, including confirming that your book chapter, monograph or edited collection is in scope of the UKRI policy, applying for funds, and applying exemptions. We need the following information so please have this available when you are completing the form.

What happens next - 2 Stage Process

Stage 1: The Library registers your output on your behalf, with UKRI for funding. UKRI processes the application and confirms to the Library if the output is eligible for funding.​

• The purpose of Stage 1 is to give the author and the Library assurance before a legal contract is signed that the output is eligible to be supported. ​

Stage 2: The Library supplies evidence that the publication is available open access and provides payment information. UKRI processes this information and releases the funds. ​

• The purpose of Stage 2 is the receipt of final confirmation of publication to allow the release of funds

UKRI Funding Pot

UKRI is providing a ring-fenced £3.5 million fund dedicated to supporting open access for longform outputs in-scope of the policy​. It will be centrally held by UKRI

The Library can now apply for this funding for individual outputs on the behalf of the author​. Authors cannot apply direct to this fund themselves

Maximum funding Levels will apply as follows

For monographs and edited collections, authors/organisations may claim up to £2,000 from the above funding limits to clear rights for third party materials if needed. However, we would usually expect these costs to be included in research grants. ​

7 Year Threshold

UKRI are introducing a seven-year threshold. This means that if an in scope longform output is published seven or more years after the formal end of a UKRI funded project, then it will no longer be eligible for support via UKRI’s fund, and therefore we do not expect the publication to be open access.​

They will be flexible in the event of extenuating circumstances and where equality, diversity, and inclusion issues result in delays to a publication

Open Licence Requirement

UKRI requires use of any Creative Commons Licence on open access longform output (or if required: Crown copyright; Open Government Licence)​

CC BY is the preferred licence also known as Creative Commons Attribution Licence​

• Allows anyone to read and reuse the content providing they acknowledge (cite) the original paper​

Find out more about Creative Commons licences at https://library.soton.ac.uk/guides/creativecommonslicences​

UKRI’s requirements do not apply to third-party materials such as images, which can be included under a more restrictive license or terms under which its use is permitted by the rightsholder, for example on an ‘all rights reserved’ basis. 

UKRI and third-party copyright

Guidance document from UKRI for researchers: how to manage third-party copyright to comply with UKRI’s open access policy.