Earth System Science Data
Earth System Science Data
Earth System Science Data

Financial support for authors

The open-access publication model of Copernicus Publications requires the author to cover the article processing charges (APCs). For ESSD, the APCs are flat fees to be paid per finally-accepted and published journal article and include all costs of the administration and infrastructure of the review process, typesetting, English language copy-editing, web publication, and long-term archiving. Using these APCs, ESSD gives any surplus back to the community in 2 different ways: (a) APC discounts and waiver to authors lacking support of funds, as outlined below, and (b) reinvestments in the community by funding data rescue projects, donating into open-data infrastructure, supporting young-scientists with grants, and similar endeavours.

Article processing charge discounts and waivers

Manuscripts submitted from 1 January 2025 with corresponding authors from countries listed by Research4Life are eligible for standard waivers as specified on the APC page. In addition, Copernicus Publications has signed so-called institutional agreements (IAs) with institutions, universities, funders, and libraries for the centralized settlement of APCs. Accordingly, authors are kindly asked to check whether these financial support schemes can be applied.

In all other cases, authors are asked to explore other APC funding options at their own institution or funding organization. If the authors are not eligible for any financial support scheme, they can apply for a discount or even waiver. The annual support budget of ESSD amounts to 10% of its previous year's publication output.

Applications must be made at manuscript registration and requests at later stages cannot be considered. Please use the respective text field on the registration form and state why the authors cannot pay the charges. Applications by students, doctoral candidates, or post-doctoral researchers also require a brief statement from their supervisor or group leader. Applications are then initially assessed by the handling editor and the final decision is taken by the ESSD chief editors. If an application is rejected, the author can either accept to pay the APCs or withdraw the manuscript.

For any discount or waiver application, priority will be given to authors who meet one or more of the below criteria:

  1. Authors with a permanent affiliation in an economically disadvantaged country not covered by the list of Research4Life.
  2. Special circumstances (e.g., after career disruption, or international relocation).
  3. Authors without research funds.

Authors who do not meet the above criteria may still apply for a discount granted in exceptional cases.

List of institutional agreements (IAs)

The following institutions have signed agreements with Copernicus Publications regarding the central settlement of article processing charges (APCs). The APCs will then be settled directly between Copernicus Publications and the respective institution. The details of each agreement are specified below.

Corresponding authors affiliated to Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to the institutions of the Bibsam Consortium

If the corresponding author is affiliated to one of the Bibsam member institutions, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and Bibsam. This arrangement is valid for any manuscript submitted or accepted after 1 January 2024. The publication costs are jointly financed by the Swedish Research Council, Formas, Forte, and Vinnova, following their strategic decision to support publications with publishers that exclusively publish fully open-access journals.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Bielefeld University

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Bielefeld University, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of Bielefeld University. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Clausthal University of Technology

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Clausthal University of Technology, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of Clausthal University of Technology. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to the institutes of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

URICI CSIC provides a publication fund for articles published with Copernicus Publications. The fund is available to all corresponding authors affiliated with CSIC on a first-come, first-served basis. Submitting a manuscript holds out the prospect to the corresponding author that their manuscript publication will be settled by CSIC. However, if no funds are available at the time of the publication, Copernicus Publications will charge the authors for the APCs. CSIC can always settle the pending amount and then advise Copernicus Publications not to invoice the authors.
Corresponding authors affiliated to EPFL

If the corresponding author is affiliated to EPFL, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the EPFL library, provided that the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is not indicated as funder.
Corresponding authors affiliated to the four research institutes within the ETH domain

If the corresponding author is affiliated to one of the research institutes of the ETH Domain, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the Library for the Research Institutes within the ETH Domain (Lib4RI). This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 September 2022 for the following participating institutions:

  • Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI);
  • Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa);
  • Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag);
  • Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL)
Corresponding authors affiliated to institutes of ETH Zurich

If the corresponding author is affiliated to one of the institutes of ETH Zurich, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the ETH-Bibliothek, provided that the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is not indicated as funder.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Freie Universität Berlin

The institutional agreement with Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin) covers papers with article processing charges up to €2,000 (net) if the first affiliation of the corresponding author is FU Berlin. If APCs exceed €2,000 net (€2,380 gross), FU Berlin will not cover any of the costs.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Goethe University Frankfurt

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Goethe University Frankfurt, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of Goethe University Frankfurt. This arrangement is valid for any manuscript accepted after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to research centres of the Helmholtz Association

If the corresponding author (first author until 31 August 2019) is affiliated to one of the following research centres of the Helmholtz Association, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the Helmholtz Centres. Contact your local library to learn more about the internal procedure at your centre:
Corresponding author affiliated to Helsinki University

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Helsinki University, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and Helsinki University Library. This agreement is valid for journals with a JUFO rank above 0.
Corresponding author affiliated to Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the University Library of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2025.
Corresponding authors affiliated to institutes of Iowa State University

If the corresponding author is affiliated to one of the institutes of Iowa State University, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the Iowa State University Library.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. If APCs exceed €2,000 gross (€1,680 net), JGU will not cover any of the costs. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
First or corresponding author affiliated to Lancaster University

The institutional agreement with Lancaster University covers any article processing charges (APCs), as long as the first or corresponding author is affiliated with the university and the paper lists a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding source. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2023.
Corresponding author affiliated to Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research

If the corresponding author is affiliated to the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the TROPOS.
Corresponding author affiliated to Leibniz Universität Hannover

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Leibniz Universität Hannover, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the TIB (Technische Informationsbibliothek). This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2025.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to research units of the Max Planck Society

If the corresponding author is affiliated to one of the research units of the Max Planck Society, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the Max Planck Society.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Münster University of Applied Sciences

The institutional agreement with Münster University of Applied Sciences covers papers with article processing charges up to €2,000 (gross), if the corresponding author is affiliated to the university. If APCs exceed €2,000 gross (€1,680 net), Münster University of Applied Sciences will not cover any of the costs.
First or corresponding authors affiliated to National Oceanography Centre

If the first or corresponding author is affiliated with a National Oceanography Centre (NOC) affiliation, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and NOC. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2025.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt

The institutional agreement with Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt covers papers with article processing charges up to €2,000 (gross), if the corresponding author is affiliated to Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. If APCs exceed €2,000 gross (€1,680 net), Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt will not cover any of the costs.
Corresponding authors affiliated to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

If the corresponding author is affiliated to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the PIK.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Ruhr University Bochum

The final article processing charges will be determined if and when the article is published. If the APCs exceed €2,000 gross, Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) will invoice the corresponding author with the exceeding amount. Please see the RUB funding guidelines for details. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to RWTH Aachen University

If the corresponding author is affiliated to RWTH Aachen University, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of RWTH Aachen University. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to member institutions of the Sachsenkonsortium

Several scientific institutions from Germany have joined the Sachsenkonsortium for the central payment processing of APCs for articles of all journals. The consortium enables corresponding authors, affiliated with the participating institutions, to publish free of charge. The articles are financed by a prepayment deposited at the beginning of each year. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024 for the following participating institutions:

  • HTW Dresden;
  • Technische Universität Dresden;
  • TU Bergakademie Freiberg;
  • Universität Leipzig;
  • Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden;
  • Universitätsklinikum Leipzig.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Stuttgart University

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Stuttgart University, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of Stuttgart University. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to Technical University of Braunschweig

If the corresponding author is affiliated to one of the research units of Technical University of Braunschweig, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and Technical University of Braunschweig. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2023.
Corresponding authors affiliated to departments of TU Delft

The TU Delft Library provides a publication fund for articles published with Copernicus Publications. The fund is available to all corresponding authors affiliated with TU Delft on a first-come, first-served basis. Submitting a manuscript holds out the prospect to the corresponding author that their manuscript publication will be settled by the TU Delft prepayment. However, if no funds are available at the time of the publication, Copernicus Publications will charge the authors for the APCs. TU Delft can always settle the pending amount and then advise Copernicus Publications not to invoice the authors.
Corresponding author affiliated to the TU Berlin

If the corresponding author is affiliated to Technische Universität Berlin, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the University Library of TU Berlin. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2025.
Corresponding author affiliated to the TU Munich

If the corresponding author is affiliated to the Technical University of Munich, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the University Library Technical University Munich. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2025.
Corresponding authors affiliated to University of Bergen

If the corresponding author is affiliated to University of Bergen, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the University of Bergen Library. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 March 2025.
First authors affiliated to institutes of the University of Bremen and Bremen University of Applied Sciences

If the first author is affiliated to one of the institutes of the University of Bremen or Bremen University of Applied Sciences, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the SUUB (Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Bremen).
Corresponding authors affiliated to University of California and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

The agreement signed between University of California and Copernicus Publications covers all journals that charge flat APCs per article. If the corresponding author is affiliated to a research unit of University of California or Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the respective manuscript is accepted for publication from 1 January 2025, APCs are automatically reduced by 50%.
Corresponding authors affiliated to University of Cologne

If the corresponding author is affiliated to University of Cologne, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of University of Cologne. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to University of Duisburg-Essen

The final article processing charges will be determined if and when the article is published. If the APCs exceed €2,000 gross, University of Duisburg-Essen will invoice the corresponding author with the exceeding amount. Please see the University of Duisburg-Essen funding guidelines for details. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to University of Exeter

If the corresponding author is affiliated to University of Exeter, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the University of Exeter Library. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 15 July 2022.
Corresponding authors affiliated to University of Freiburg

If the corresponding author is affiliated to University of Freiburg, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of University of Freiburg. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding author affiliated to University of Göttingen

If the corresponding author is affiliated to one of the research units of University of Göttingen, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and Göttingen University Library. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2025.
Corresponding author affiliated to University of Leeds

The institutional agreement with University of Leeds covers any article processing charges (APCs), as long as the corresponding author is affiliated with the university and the paper lists a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding source. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 April 2023.
Corresponding authors affiliated to University of Münster

If the corresponding author is affiliated to University of Münster, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of University of Münster. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
First or corresponding author affiliated to University of Oxford

The institutional agreement with University of Oxford covers any article processing charges (APCs), as long as the first or corresponding author is affiliated with the university and the paper lists a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), BHF (British Heart Foundation), WT (Wellcome Trust), or CRUK (Cancer Research UK) funding source. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2023.
Corresponding authors affiliated to University of Potsdam

If the corresponding author is affiliated to University of Potsdam, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of University of Potsdam.
First or corresponding authors affiliated to University of Tübingen

If the first or corresponding author is affiliated to University of Tübingen, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of University of Tübingen. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.
Corresponding authors affiliated to University of Würzburg

If the corresponding author is affiliated to University of Würzburg, the article processing charges will be settled automatically between Copernicus Publications and the library of University of Würzburg. This arrangement is valid for any submission after 1 January 2024.

Other support schemes

In the following we list some examples for open access support schemes. However, the list is by non means complete.

Projects funded by the DFG

The German Research Foundation DFG supports publication charges with €750 per year. This support can also be accumulated over the 3-year period of funding. Please see DFG's FAQs on open access for further information.
Projects funded by the European Commission

Horizon 2020 is the EU Research and Innovation programme. All projects receiving Horizon 2020 funding will have the obligation to make sure any peer-reviewed journal article they publish is openly accessible, free of charge.
Projects funded by the FWF

The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) is Austria's central funding organization for basic research. The FWF provides grants to cover the costs of peer-reviewed publications that result from projects supported by the FWF, up to a limit of 3 years after conclusion of the project. Leaders and collaborators of all FWF projects of any discipline are the target group of this support.
Projects funded by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR)

As of 8 July 2024 authors of articles that report on research funded by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) will need to upload their APC invoice manually through the ChronosHub portal at: https://chronoshub.io/fnr/apc-funding-request
Projects funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)

As of 10 May 2024 authors of articles that report on research funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) will need to upload their APC invoice manually through the ChronosHub portal at: https://chronoshub.io/snsf/apc-funding-request
Other universities providing open access funds for their researchers

The following is a list of universities that are supported by the DFG Programme "Open Access Publizieren" and therefore provide funds for open-access publications. Please check whether your institution supports the costs for open-access publishing.