The results of publicly funded research should be accessible to all. This is why Forte is part of cOAlition S, an international consortium of research funders working for open access to research publications. Together, we support the initiative Plan S.

What are Plan S and cOAlition S?

Plan S was an initiative for open access science publishing that was launched in 2018 by Science Europe, an association for European research funding organisations. The key goal of Plan S was that results from research funded by public grants should be published with immediate open access.

The Plan was supported by cOAlition S, an international consortium of research funders where Forte, Formas and Vinnova participate. 

Why Plan S?

It is important that as many as possible have access to the results of research funded by public grants. However, a consequence of the current scientific publication system is that paywalls are withholding a substantial amount of research results from a large fraction of the scientific community and from society as a whole. The system also leads to researchers losing the copyright to their own publications and to publishers charging fees for redistribution of material from articles.

The implementation of Plan S

Forte implemented the requirements of Plan S in 2021. This means that results from research that was granted funding in 2021 or later must be published with open access.

For funds granted by Forte up to and including 2020, results must be published with open access within no more than six months.

Forte’s guidelines for publication with open access »

How do I know that a journal meets the requirements?

cOAlition S has developed an online tool, Journal Checker Tool, which can help researchers to easily identify journals or platforms that enable compliance with the Plan S requirements.