A practical guide to your Scientific Reports publishing options

Author: Siobhan Bates

Publishing open access (OA) means your research is immediately available to anyone, anywhere, without subscription barriers. If you’re considering Scientific Reports, you might be wondering: how do researchers cover the article processing charge (APC)? The good news is that funding is often available, you just need to know where to look. This guide walks you through the most common options, so you can plan early and publish with confidence.

Scientific Reports is fully open access, by design

Scientific Reports is part of the Nature Portfolio and is built to be a trusted, rigorous home for scientifically sound research from across disciplines—open and accessible to the global research community. As a fully OA journal, every article is published open access as soon as it’s ready, supporting broad discoverability and access across institutions, sectors, and regions. 

That means you don’t need to decide whether to publish OA in Scientific Reports, OA is built in. What you do need is a clear plan for funding the APC. 

Quick clarity: the APC, the timing, and why “early” matters

Scientific Reports charges an APC, which is determined from the date your article is accepted. You can find the current APC (plus any applicable VAT/ local taxes), along with helpful resources, on Scientific Reports dedicated Open Access Fees and Funding page. 

Because funding routes can depend on eligibility checks, institutional approvals, or grant conditions, it’s worth exploring your options before submission (or at least early in the process), so there are no surprises later.

Your OA funding routes: the most common options

Most authors cover APCs through one (or a combination) of these routes: 

1. Institutional open access agreements (often the easiest route) 
2. Funder or grant support 
3. Institutional OA funds (via your library or research office) 
4. Waivers or discounts (when available) 
5. Self-funding (as a last resort, or when required) 

Let’s unpack each one.

Route 1 (start here): Institutional open access agreements

Many universities and institutions have open access agreements with Springer Nature that can cover APCs fully or partially for eligible authors and eligible journals. 

Depending on your institution’s agreement, this support may look like: 

• Full APC coverage (your institution pays 100%) 
• A percentage discount (e.g., a fixed % off the list price) 
• A fixed contribution (e.g., up to a set amount) 

These agreements are designed to reduce both the financial and administrative burden, and they’re usually integrated into the publishing workflow for the corresponding author. 

Tip: Even if you’ve never used OA funding before, you may already be covered, especially if your institution has a library-led OA team or participates in national/consortium arrangements.

If you’re in the US

The US landscape is mixed. Policies, OA budgets, and institutional approaches vary widely. That’s exactly why OA agreements can be such a helpful first check: if your university participates, an agreement can remove much of the friction (and uncertainty) around APC payment.

Route 2: Your research funder or grant provider

Many funders allow APCs as eligible costs, either within an existing grant budget or through a dedicated OA publishing allowance. 

What to check: 

• Is OA publishing an allowable cost for your grant? 
• Are there rules about the licence type (e.g., CC BY)? 
• Do you need to acknowledge funding in a specific way? 
• Does your funder require immediate OA (which Scientific Reports already provides)? 

If you’re unsure, your institution’s grants office or library OA team can often confirm the best route quickly.

Route 3: Your library’s OA fund (or local institutional support)

Even if you’re not covered by an OA agreement, your institution may have: 

• a central OA fund 
• a departmental publishing budget 
• support for early-career researchers 
• guidance on applying for institutional or charitable publication funds 

Libraries are often the best starting point here. Many have dedicated OA specialists who can: 

• tell you what funding exists locally 
• explain eligibility rules 
• help you avoid delays later in the process 

Route 4: Waivers and discounts (when available) 

Springer Nature offers APC waivers and discounts for articles in fully open access journals in certain circumstances. 

Two key points to know up front: 

1. Some waivers/discounts apply automatically (for example, based on the corresponding author’s location in the world’s lowest income countries). 
2. Other waiver/discount requests are assessed case-by-case, and typically need to be requested at the point of manuscript submission (not during review, and not after acceptance). 

If you think you may need a waiver or discount, plan for this early so you can apply at the right moment in the workflow.

Route 5: Self-funding (when other routes aren’t available) 

Sometimes researchers pay APCs directly, especially when: 

• there’s no agreement coverage 
• the grant doesn’t allow publication costs 
• local institutional funds are unavailable 
• a time-sensitive publication decision needs a fast route 

If this is your situation, it can still help to speak to your library or department first. They may be able to suggest partial support, discounts, or alternative internal funding streams. 

Find your best route in 60 seconds: a simple checklist 

If you do nothing else, do this: 

1. Check whether your institution has a Springer Nature OA agreement (and whether Scientific Reports is included). 
2. Confirm you’re the corresponding author (agreement eligibility typically runs through the corresponding author). 
3. Check your affiliations (if you have multiple, test the most relevant ones). 
4. Check your funder rules (especially licence/compliance requirements). 
5. If needed, talk to your library/OA office early (they can often resolve uncertainties fast). 

A few FAQs researchers often ask 

“What if I have multiple affiliations, or international co-authors?” 

Funding eligibility is commonly tied to the corresponding author’s affiliation and the institution’s agreement terms. If you have multiple affiliations, it can be worth checking each one and confirming which affiliation should be used for funding purposes. 

“Does funding affect peer review?” 

No. Funding checks and APC payment processes are separate from editorial decisions and peer review. 

“What if I realise too late that I needed a waiver?” 

Because waiver/discount requests typically need to be made at the point of submission, it’s worth flagging financial constraints early—before your manuscript progresses. 

Publishing OA shouldn’t be the barrier 

Open access is about making scientifically sound research available to the widest possible community, globally and immediately. And in many cases, the funding is already there. 

If you’re considering Scientific Reports, take a few minutes to explore the routes above. A quick check now can remove delays later and help you focus on what matters most: sharing your work. 

Next step: Start by checking your institutional OA agreement eligibility, and if you’re unsure, contact your library or OA office for guidance. 

Check your eligibility in minutes. Head to the Scientific Reports website to explore funding options, agreements, and next steps for submitting your research.

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