Frequently Asked Questions About Jisc Funding

What is Jisc?

The Jisc Consortium is an intermediary that negotiates with publishers and vendors on behalf of a community of UK universities. They negotiate the following:

• services,
• products, and;
• technologies.

JMIR and Jisc have agreed to a deal to help secure funding for authors who want to publish with JMIR

What Does the Jisc Deal Mean for Eligible Authors?

The Jisc deal provides APF waivers for corresponding authors affiliated with universities who have signed onto the deal.

What Does the Jisc Deal Mean for Librarians?

The Jisc deal removes the financial burden from librarian's authors by providing a coordinated arrangement for institutions to cover APF fees associated with publishing for JMIR Publications.

Which Authors are Eligible for the Jisc Deal?

Corresponding authors associated with Jisc-affiliated institutions that have a deal with JMIR are eligible for Jisc coverage.

Which Institutions are Covered by the Jisc Deal?

The following institutions are currently covered by the Jisc deal:

• Glasgow Caledonian University
• Imperial College London
• King's College London
• Lancaster University
• Newcastle University**
• Open University
• Ulster University
• University of Bath
• University of Birmingham
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• University College London
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Exeter
• University of Leeds**
• University of Manchester**
• University of Nottingham**
• University of Oxford
• University of Southampton**
• University of St. Andrews
• University of Stirling
• University of Strathclyde
• University of Surrey
• University of Warwick**
• University of York (including Hull York Medical School)

Which Papers are Covered by the Jisc Deal?

Article types covered by the agreement:

• Original Research Papers
• Reviews
• Protocol Regular Papers

Article types not covered by the agreement:

• Research Letters
• Viewpoints
• Case Reports
• Protocol Proposal Papers
• Letters to the Editor

To receive an APF waiver a paper must:

• Have an eligible corresponding author affiliated with an institution enrolled in a partnership with JMIR.
• Be accepted for publication between before March 31st 2027
• Articles submitted by authors affiliated with the institutions marked ** which must be accepted for publication between August 1 2025 to July 31 2026

Funding from Other Sources

Jisc partner institutions have varying eligibility criteria for studies which are funded by other sources. For example, if a study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, it may not be eligible under this agreement, but this depends on the institution and individual manuscript. 

The following institutions have declined to include articles solely funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. Research with funding from multiple sources including NIHR may be eligible. 

• Lancaster University
• University of Bristol

***We strongly encourage authors to contact your library prior to submission to confirm eligibility***

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 form must have the following:

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

  

• The corresponding author using 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 Jisc."

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

Interested in having your university added to the list?

Please contact your librarian if your institution is not on the list and also reach out to us at support@jmir.org with your library contact so we can follow up. 

Sample letter to your library: