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02.21.2020 | Member News & Releases

Rockefeller University Press (RUP) signs Jisc transitional open access agreement for UK higher education

February 20, 2020 – New York City, NY – Nonprofit publisher Rockefeller University Press (RUP), a department of The Rockefeller University in New York City, has agreed to a deal with Jisc that negotiates open access (OA) agreements with publishers on behalf of all UK universities. RUP is the first US–based university press to sign a transitional agreement with research and education not-for-profit Jisc. 

The unlimited “read-and-publish” transitional agreement covers RUP’s three hybrid journals, Journal of Cell Biology (JCB), Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM) and Journal of General Physiology (JGP).

The two-year pilot agreement, which runs from March 2020 until February 2022, enables immediate open access for all UK higher education institutions that opt in. There is no limit to the number of articles that may be published immediate open access during the agreement, as all publishing fees are included in a fixed price. Under the Jisc agreement, participating UK institutions receive unlimited access to all content immediately after publication and articles of corresponding authors affiliated with these institutions will be published immediate open access under a CC-BY license and directly deposited in PubMed Central (PMC).

Kathryn Spiller, licensing manager at Jisc, who has worked with the university press to negotiate the agreement, said: “We are delighted that Rockefeller University Press is the first US–based publisher to join the group of independent publishers piloting a ‘read-and-publish’ agreement this year. We hope this will encourage other US–presses and smaller publishers to work with Jisc on transformative agreements.”

“RUP has long championed sustainable public access and is delighted to partner with Jisc to reduce the administrative burden on UK faculty and students who choose to publish their research in JCB, JEM and JGP,” says RUP Executive Director Susan King, PhD. “We are pleased to be the first university publisher to sign the pilot agreement in the US, and we look forward to evaluating what we anticipate being a positive impact on the authors and readers at participating UK institutions.”

Jisc is working with smaller publishers and learned societies to explore innovative ways to make the transition toward OA financially sustainable. Previously, it secured agreements with the following publishers: Microbiology Society, IoP Publishing and another five other learned societies.


About Jisc Jisc’s vision is for the UK to be the most digitally advanced education and research nation in the world. At its heart is the super-fast national research and education network, Janet, with built-in cyber security protection.  Jisc also provides technology solutions for its members (colleges, universities and research centres) and customers (public sector bodies), helps members save time and money by negotiating sector-wide deals and provides advice and practical assistance on digital technology. Jisc is funded by the UK higher and further education and research funding bodies and member institutions. For more information, contact faye.holst@jisc.ac.uk, or call 07443 983571.

About Rockefeller University Press (RUP) Rockefeller University Press (RUP) is committed to quality and integrity in scientific publishing. We use the latest technologies and carry out rigorous peer review, applying the highest standards of novelty, mechanistic insight, data integrity, and general interest to fulfill our mission of publishing excellent science. RUP publishes the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB), Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), and Journal of General Physiology (JGP) and co-publishes Life Science Alliance (LSA). RUP’s nonprofit journals were established by the research community, and editorial decisions and policies continue to be driven by scientists who actively contribute to their fields, appreciate the value of peer review, and desire a better publication experience for all.

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