University of London Press joins Jisc pilot project supporting sustainable open access publishing

The University of London Press is delighted to announce that it has been accepted to join the new Jisc Open Access Community Framework (OACF) which supports sustainable and affordable open access publishing. 

The application to the project by the University of London Press is seeking funding to support the expansion of the New Historical Perspectives (NHP) series. The series is published in collaboration with the Royal Historical Society (RHS) and the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), and focuses on work by early career historians. Authors receive extensive support throughout the publishing process and the series has generated much interest from its target author community, as well as excellent review coverage and a number of prestigious award nominations for published books, including Scotland’s National Book Awards in 2021. 

Its inclusion in the new Open Access Community Framework means that UK libraries and institutions can pledge funding to support the publication of additional titles in the series, so that it can be scaled up to meet the demand and increase in proposals received. Jisc is running the pilot to support the transition to open access and maintain a diverse scholarly communications ecosystem, particularly supporting the work of smaller non-profit and mission-driven publishers.  

Paula Kennedy, Head of Publishing, University of London Press, said:
“The academic publishing landscape is changing very quickly, and pilot projects like this one from JISC are experimenting with new ways of making open access publication for books sustainable, particularly for smaller presses. It’s fantastic news that the NHP series is included in this innovative project, and a great opportunity for both the University of London Press and the community it supports.”
 
Following the launch of this innovative pilot project, JISC has now opened the pledging platform to university libraries and institutions within the UK to reach the target of £66,712 in funding for the NHP series across three years. This is alongside the other 9 projects that are part of JISC’s Open Access Community Framework. The pledging platform closes at the end of October 2022.