Open Access Policies

The Open Access Policies provide the Helmholtz Centers with a framework for action in the coordinated transformation process towards open access.

The Helmholtz Association was one of the initial signatories of the „Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities“ in 2003. This document is the basis for the open access policy of the Helmholtz Association.

Since 2013, beneficiaries of funding from the Initiative and Networking Fund of the Helmholtz Association are required to make publications originating from funded projects freely available. The Initiative and Networking Fund is one of the central funding schemes of the Helmholtz Association.

Further Information.
By approval of its Assembly of Members (assembly of the directors of the Helmholtz Centres) in 2004, the Helmholtz Association was the first science organisation in Germany to adopt an open access policy:

„Publications from the Helmholtz Association shall in future, without exception, be available free of charge, as far as no conflicting agreement with publishers or others exists.“

Further Information.