PHD Discussions Logo

Ask, Learn and Accelerate in your PhD Research

Question Icon Post Your Answer

Question Icon

2 years ago in Publication Charges By Rahul K

Can I include anticipated APC costs in my research grant proposal budget?

I'm writing a grant proposal for a three-year project. How should I estimate and justify APC costs in my budget? Is it standard to include funds for 2-3 publications, and what if the journals I choose later have different fees?

All Answers (1 Answers In All)

By Reeta Khanna Answered 1 month ago

Absolutely, budgeting for APCs is not only acceptable but increasingly expected by funders with open access mandates. A standard approach is to estimate 2-4 publications over the grant period. Use a conservative average APC for your field (e.g., $2,500 per article in STEM; $1,800 in social sciences). In the budget justification, state: "Funds are requested to cover open access publication charges (estimated at $X per article) for disseminating the research results in accordance with [Funder Name]'s public access policy. This supports the timely and equitable sharing of knowledge generated by this grant." This frames it as a necessary cost of doing business. If fees change, most grants allow for budget rebudgeting within reason to move funds between categories. Be realistic; an over-inflated publication budget can raise reviewer eyebrows.

Your Answer