Update: as of July 1, 2025:
Authors who wish to publish open access with ACS will be responsible for fully covering the discounted $3,000 Article Processing Charge (APC). Reading access to ACS publications for UC affiliates will continue without interruption.
Under the agreement, any corresponding author from a subscribing SCELC institution who chooses to publish open access in an ACS journal can do so by paying a discounted APC (article processing charge) of $3,000. Alternatively, those authors who do not have research funds available to pay the $3,000 APC can request full funding of the APC from the collective's ongoing subscription fees, ensuring that lack of available research funds does not present a barrier for authors who wish to publish open access with ACS.
SCELC libraries have shifted some of their subscription fees from paying to read ACS journals to paying for open publication in ACS journals. Based on careful modeling of collective publication rates, agreement-wide baseline grant-funded APC thresholds have been established. The exact amount required each year will be determined by the collective's corresponding author rate of open access uptake and the need for author grant funding to support a growing proportion of the total open access articles (from 20% in 2022 to 35% in 2025). 2025 Update: Unfortunately, author grant funding declined over the term of the agreement rather than increasing causing an early-end to full APC funding.
Cost controls have been put in place to limit the annual total paid by the collective via pre-established subscription fees and grant-funded APCs. Also, APC rates will remain the same throughout the term of the agreement.