Open access agreement for FSLN Canada | Open science

If you are a corresponding author affiliated with a participating Federal Science Libraries Network (FSLN) institution, the FSLN transformative agreement means you can make your publications immediately open with fees covered by your institution.

Canada’s FSLN and Springer Nature has entered into a transformative agreement, meaning that corresponding authors* affiliated with participating institutions are eligible to make their publications immediately open with fees covered by their institution. The agreement includes more than 2,000 journals across the Springer Nature portfolio (Springer, Adis, Palgrave and Academic Journals).

In addition, you can enjoy full access to all Springer subscription journal content.

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

Announcement (effective 4 August 2026)

The OA publication service for FSLN transformative agreement has reached its maximum article allowance for 2026. This means the agreement is no longer covering OA publishing fees until 1 January 2027.

The option to publish OA via Springer Author Choice is still available to affiliated authors, but the publishing fee will not be covered under the agreement. Authors should use alternative funding sources in order to publish OA or proceed with publication under subscription until the agreement is reactivated. If you need advice on what OA funding is available to you, please visit our funding & support service page. For more information, please contact oa.verification@springernature.com. Alternatively, contact the OA team at your institution.

Learn more about your eligibility

Participating institutions

(PDF, 113.16 KB)

What authors need to know

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

Eligible journals

(XLSX, 436.29 KB)

Learn more about publishing OA with fees covered by this agreement.

Author guide

(PDF, 2.82 MB)

Ready to publish?

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 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 process.

In addition, the corresponding author acts as the point of contact for any enquiries after the paper is published.

How can I make sure my article is eligible?

There are three ways we can recognise your eligibility for open access publication through this agreement.

Agreement author identification img © Springer Nature

Upon acceptance of your article, you'll also be prompted to provide your institutional affiliation. If you are eligible, your institution will complete the approval process without causing any delays to the manuscript publication process.

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.

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.

How do I know if my article is eligible?

If your article has the structure of a standard article and contains original research, it should be eligible. This will be confirmed by your institution.

Which article types are covered by this agreement?

Original Paper: Standard article, usually presenting new results; articles published under this article type may also be referred to as Original Research, Original Article, Original Paper or Research Paper.
Review Paper: Standard article, interpreting previously published results.
Brief Communication: Short article submitted for rapid publication that exhibits the same structure as a standard article.
Continuing Education: Article forming integral part of further education (usually medical).

Who can I contact for more information?

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