Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A publisher applies its 100% waiver automatically based on corresponding-author affiliation and publishes annual statistics.
- Is an instance
An institution underwrites a publishing fund covering APCs for its postgraduate researchers.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A waiver programme that requires the author to formally apply each time with no public granted-rate data.
- Not an instance
Restricting waivers to certain disciplines or career stages without clear rationale.
Editorial commentary
Institutional waiver programmes formalise APC reductions for defined categories of authors: corresponding authors based at Research4Life-eligible institutions, authors from specific low- and middle-income countries, authors funded by partner organisations, or authors otherwise unable to pay. Best practice includes automatic application (no application form required), published eligibility criteria, transparent reporting of waivers granted and refused, and integration with consortium-level transformative or pure publish agreements. Programmes that require authors to apply, justify or negotiate are documented to have low uptake.
References
- Plan S Price Transparency Framework. Research4Life eligibility lists. COPE guidance on waivers.
Also known as
APC waiver programme · Publication-fee waiver scheme
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
<role vocab="credit"
vocab-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/"
vocab-term="Institutional waiver programme"
vocab-term-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/institutional-waiver-programme" />{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "DefinedTerm",
"name": "Institutional waiver programme",
"identifier": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/institutional-waiver-programme",
"description": "A structured arrangement by a publisher or institution that grants reductions or full waivers of article-processing or publication charges to authors who would otherwise face financial barriers to open-access publication.",
"inDefinedTermSet": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/domain/knowledge-equity-diversity-global-south-inclusion/",
"url": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/institutional-waiver-programme",
"sameAs": [
"APC waiver programme",
"Publication-fee waiver scheme"
],
"license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}
