Open Access Publishing Support for HKUST Authors
The Library supports HKUST authors to publish their work open access through various types of agreements with publishers. Some are called Transformative Agreements (TA). Another common model is called Subscribe to Open (S2O). Some agreements have limited quotas for waiving Article Processing Charges (APC), though most offer unlimited APC quotas.
Below lists a range of agreements which support OA publishing at no cost to corresponding authors affiliated to HKUST (Clear Water Bay). Be sure to submit your paper with your official HKUST email account and address in your role as corresponding author.
Limited APC Quota
Check individual publisher for details
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific organization focused on advancing the knowledge and practice of chemistry. It publishes numerous journals and provides essential resources for chemists and researchers.
Applicable Journals: More than 90 hybrid and OA journals (browse list)
Period: 2025 - 2028
APC Quota: 60 (first come, first served; maximum 2 papers per corresponding author per calendar year)
Guides and Useful Resources:
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a UK-based organization that aims to advance the chemical sciences through publications, educational programs, and public engagement activities.
Applicable Journals: Browse list (hybrid only)
Period: 2025 – 2027
APC Quota: 16 (first come, first served, allocated by RSC)
Guides and Useful Resources:
Springer Nature is a global publishing company that focuses on academic and scientific research content. The company has a strong emphasis on open access service, making research accessible to everyone.
Applicable Journals: More than 1900 hybrid journals (Nature and BioMed Central journals are not included)
Period: 2024 – 2026
APC Quota: 86 (first come, first served)
Guides and Useful Resources:
- Information for authors at eligible JULAC institutions
- JULAC Transformative Agreement with Springer Nature – A Guide for Authors
- Author Workshop on January 17, 2024 (Recording | Workflow for Authors)
Taylor & Francis is a global publishing company recognized for its extensive portfolio of journals, books, and online resources across various disciplines, including science, technology, medicine, and social sciences.
Applicable Journals: All Taylor & Francis and Routledge Open Select (hybrid) journals (browse list)
Period: 2026 – 2028
APC Quota: 22 (first come, first served; maximum 2 papers per corresponding author per calendar year)
Guides and Useful Resources:
Wiley is a global publishing company that specializes in academic and instructional materials in areas such as science, technology, medicine, and social sciences.
Applicable Journals: More than 1900 hybrid and OA journals (hybrid list and fully OA list)
Period: 2026
APC Quota: 78 (first come, first served; maximum 2 papers per corresponding author per calendar year)
Guides and Useful Resources:
Unlimited APC Quota
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is a not-for-profit membership organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skills development across all engineering disciplines.
Applicable Journals: Browse list
Period: 2026
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
Annual Reviews is a nonprofit publisher focused on synthesizing and integrating knowledge for the progress of science and the benefit of society, with journals that encompass a broad range of disciplines, including biomedical, life, physical, social sciences, and economics.
Applicable Journals: Browse list
Period: 2026
APC Quota: By invitation only (Under the Annual Reviews S2O model, invited authors from HKUST can publish OA in any Annual Reviews journals without any article charges.)
Guides and Useful Resources:
- About Annual Reviews S2O: Video | Infographic
- Author Resource Center
- Benefits of Annual Reviews S2O
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) promotes computer research and innovation through its journals, magazines, and the proceedings of over 170 annual conferences and symposia.
Applicable Journals, Magazines, and Proceedings: Browse list
Period: October 15, 2025 – 2030
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
Cambridge University Press (CUP) has published over 400 peer-reviewed journals, covering subjects across the humanities, social sciences, science, technology, and medicine.
Applicable Journals:
- Close to 400 titles
- Use the publisher’s Eligibility Checker to locate specific titles
Period: 2024 – 2026
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
- Guide for Authors
- More details about this agreement negotiated by the JULAC consortium
The Company of Biologists is a not-for-profit publishing organization dedicated to supporting and inspiring the biological and biomedical community worldwide.
Applicable Journals:
- Fully OA: Biology Open | Disease Models & Mechanisms
- Hybrid: Development | Journal of Cell Science | Journal of Experimental Biology
Article Types: Specific article types such as Reviews, Commentaries, Correspondence, At a Glance, or Hypothesis are excluded from this agreement.
Period: 2026 – 2028
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
IOP Publishing is a society-owned scientific publisher of academic journals, books, and conference proceedings in the fields of physics, materials science, and related areas of science and technology.
Applicable Journals: List A to D
Period: 2024 – 2026
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
IWA Publishing is a leading international publisher specializing in water, wastewater, and environmental topics, offering 19 peer-reviewed journals and various resources. All journals are free for everyone to access through a S2O model, with no publishing fees for subscribing institutions.
Applicable Journal: Water Science & Technology
Period: 2026
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
The Microbiology Society is one of the largest microbiology societies in Europe dedicated to developing microbiological expertise.
Applicable Journals:
- Fully OA: Access Microbiology | Microbial Genomics | Microbiology
- Hybrid: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology | Journal of General Virology | Journal of Medical Microbiology
Period: 2026 – 2028
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
- Guide for Authors
- More information about submission and peer review
Oxford University Press (OUP) is dedicated to producing high-quality academic and educational materials that contribute to knowledge and learning worldwide.
Applicable Journals: More than 350 hybrid journals
Period: 2025 – 2027
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
Rockefeller University Press (RUP) is a non-profit academic publisher that specializes in biomedical research. The publisher is closely affiliated with the Rockefeller University, a leading biomedical research institute.
Applicable Journals:
- Journal of Cell Biology (JCB)
- Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM)
- Journal of General Physiology (JGP)
Period: 2024 – 2026
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
The Royal Society is the UK’s national science academy and a Fellowship of many of the world’s most eminent scientists.
Applicable Journals:
- Fully OA: Open Biology | Royal Society Open Science
- Hybrid: Biology Letters | Interface Focus | Journal of the Royal Society Interface | Notes and Records of the Royal Society | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B | Proceedings of the Royal Society A | Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Period: 2025 – 2027
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
SCOAP3 is a partnership that converts key journals in the field of high-energy physics to open access at no cost to authors. HKUST Library, as a member of JULAC Consortium, is covered by the partnership.
When HKUST authors publish at SCOAP3 journals, the articles will be automatically open access. Authors can retain the copyright of the article. No action is required at the authors’ side.
Applicable Journals: Browse list
Period: 2014 – Current
APC Quota: Unlimited
Guides and Useful Resources:
- Submission process is detailed in each journal’s “Author guidelines” section on the SCOAP3 journals page
Need More Help with Open Access?
Find out more about open access (OA) and article processing charges (APC) at the Library’s guide on Author Tips as well as articles in Research Bridge.
For enquiries, please contact the Research Support team or talk with your subject librarians.