Nature transformative agreement for Germany

Information for authors

If you are a corresponding author affiliated with a participating German university or research institution, you are entitled to publish open access (OA) in Nature and the Nature Research journals with your fees covered. 

More than 90 German institutions are participating in the first ever Transformative Agreement for Nature and the Nature research journals, meaning that corresponding authors* affiliated with these institutions are eligible to publish their articles OA with fees covered. The agreement includes Nature, the world's leading multidisciplinary science journal, first published in 1869 and original Nature Research journals across the life, physical, clinical and social sciences.

*Acting as main contact for Springer Nature correspondence after editorial acceptance.

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What authors need to know

  • You must be the corresponding author* of the article.
  • Only primary research articles are eligible under this agreement.
  • Your article(s) accepted for publication must have a publication date on or later than your institutional sign-up date in order to be covered by the agreement. Check with your library/ university. 
  • You must be affiliated with a participating institution.
  • You must explicitly state your primary affiliation in the published manuscript, which is the institution at which the bulk of the research for the article was conducted.
  • You must identify yourself during the author identification process (you will be asked to do this once your article has been accepted for publication). The institution selected during this process should be your primary affiliation, as this institution will be asked to verify eligibility and will be billed if the article is approved.

Publishing open access

Check the list of eligible institutions that are included in the agreement.

Eligible institutions
(PDF, 171.36 KB)

Check the list of journals that are included in the agreement.

Eligible journals
(XLSX, 14.58 KB)

Ready to publish?

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FAQs

Who is considered the corresponding author?

The corresponding author is defined as the person who handles the manuscript and correspondence during the publication process – from manuscript correction and proof reading, to handling the revisions and re-submission of revised manuscripts, up to the acceptance of the manuscripts. The corresponding author acts as the main contact for Springer Nature correspondence after editorial acceptance.

The corresponding author has the authority to act on behalf of all co-authors in all matters pertaining to publication of the manuscript, including supplementary material. They are also responsible for obtaining such agreements and for informing the co-authors of the manuscript’s status throughout the submission, review and publication processes.

In addition, the corresponding author of the article who is affiliated to an eligible institution shall complete the author identification process and act as the point of contact for any enquiries after the paper is published.

How can I identify myself as eligible?

If you can say ‘yes’ to these statements, your article is ready for publication under the agreement.

- I am the corresponding author*.

- I am affiliated with a participating institution and can identify myself with at least one of the methods of recognition shown in the image below.

- My article is a primary research article.

Agreement author identification img © Springer Nature

Upon acceptance of your article, you'll also be prompted to provide your primary institutional affiliation.

*Acting as main contact for Springer Nature correspondence after editorial acceptance.

How do I know if my article has been approved?

The approval manager at your institution will approve your article's eligibility based on your institutional affiliation, article type and journal name.

Once your article is approved by your institution, you will be notified by email and your article will proceed to publication.

How is payment made for my article?

As an individual author affiliated with a participating institution, you will not be invoiced by Springer Nature for OA publication in Nature and the Nature research journals. OA publishing fees are being organized centrally by your institution. Speak to your university/ library on how they manage this agreement.

Is this the same as Projekt DEAL?

This agreement builds on the nationwide Projekt DEAL agreement with Springer Nature. Together, the agreements provide full access to the entire Springer Nature portfolio for institutions participating in both agreements.

The links in the 'Publishing open access' section of this page provide more information on participating institutions and journals that are eligible under the Nature transformative agreement for Germany. Eligible authors can publish their primary research articles gold OA in Nature and 32 original Nature research journals. 

Why has this agreement been reached?

All users affiliated with a participating institution can enjoy reading accessto all Nature-branded subscription titles, including 21 Nature Reviews journals and forthcoming titles. In addition, corresponding authors affiliated to a participating institution will also be able to publish their primary research articles, accepted for publication, gold OA in Nature and 32 original Nature research journals, with their fees covered centrally under one predictable annual fee. 

+According to the terms of the contract, the access rights relate to all journal content from 2021-2024.

Who can I contact for more information? 

Please email us at oa.verification@springernature.com if you need further assistance.

What if I'm not covered by the agreement?

There are still plenty of ways to find funding for your article processing charge (APC). Visit our open access funding page to check whether your institution or research funder makes OA funding available.