Frequently Asked Questions About JMIR’s ZB Med Institutional Partnerships

What is ZB Med?
ZB Med is Germany’s national infrastructure and research hub for data and information in the life sciences. Their digital services support research projects that benefit people and the environment: from medicine and biodiversity to environmental protection.

JMIR and ZB Med have agreed to a partnership to help secure funding for authors who want to publish with JMIR.

What Does the ZB Med Agreement Mean for Eligible Authors?
This agreement provides APF waivers for corresponding authors affiliated with universities who have signed on to the partnership.

What Does the ZB Med Agreement Mean for Librarians?
This agreement simplifies the publishing process for authors and librarians by eliminating the need for individual Article Processing Fee (APF) payments. Instead, a single Institutional Partnership Fee (IPF) covers these costs, which reduces the financial and administrative burden on institutions.

Librarians at participating institutions receive access to an institutional dashboard that will allow them to see all publications benefiting from the agreement. They can also contact our Institutional Partnerships team if they have any questions partnerships@jmir.org.

Which Authors are Eligible for the ZB Med Partnership?
Corresponding authors currently associated with ZB Med-affiliated institutions that have a deal with JMIR are eligible for full waiver of APF payments.

Which Institutions are Covered by the ZB Med Partnership?

The following institutions are currently covered by this partnership:

• University of Duisburg-Essen
• University of Münster
• University of Witten/Herdecke**
• Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf*
• University of Freiburg*
• University of Tübingen*
• Medizinische Hochschule Hannover*
• Hamburg University of Technology*
   

Which Papers are Covered by the ZB Med Partnership?
To receive an APF waiver a paper must:

• Have an eligible corresponding author currently affiliated with an institution enrolled in a partnership with JMIR.
• Be accepted for publication between January 1st 2025 to December 31st 2026, except institutions marked ** which are eligible July 1st 2025 to December 31st 2026 and institutions marked * which are eligible January 1st 2026 to December 31st 2026.

How do Eligible Authors Request an APF Waiver?
Authors can request APF waivers during the submission process. To request an APF waiver, the corresponding author's submission must have at least one of the following:

• The corresponding author is affiliated with a university that is enrolled in a partnership with JMIR.

• Select this institutional affiliation in Step 1 of the submission process.

  

• The corresponding author uses an email address from a university that is enrolled in a partnership with JMIR.
• A submission cover letter that has the following text: "Requesting APF waiver through the [UNIVERSITY NAME]-JMIR OA deal via ZB Med."

These instructions may have also been displayed on the websites of JMIR's partners.

What do I do if I believe my article is eligible for an APF waiver and I receive an invoice?

If you are an eligible corresponding author of an eligible article and you receive an invoice please contact our Author Experience Team support@jmir.org.

Interested in having your university added to the list?
If your institution is not on the list, please contact your librarian. You can also email us at partnerships@jmir.org with your library's contact information, and we will follow up directly.

Sample letter to your library:

Dear [OA librarian name],

I noticed you have a number of agreements with publishers but JMIR Publications is not on the list. JMIR Publications is mission-driven and publishes over 35 leading journals in the field. [Together with colleagues] I am planning to publish / have published articles with them.
I was recently made aware of an opportunity for [Uni name] University to take advantage of an unlimited OA publishing deal with JMIR Publications offered through ZB Med. As a [Uni name] University  researcher and JMIR author, I would like to make known my vigorous support for such an agreement.

JMIR journals have long-served as the preeminent home for research on the intersection of technology and health. This journal community is known for providing excellent peer review and valuable feedback that improves papers, particularly for early career researchers entering the digital health space. JMIR's collection of high-quality titles and dedicated support for submitting authors ensures my work reaches the appropriate community with the greatest impact.

I strongly encourage you to consider supporting [Uni name] researchers through this OA agreement. 

[Research/Author name(s)]