Funding agencies and Open Access

Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) Open Access Policy

The goal of FRQ Open Access policy is to "promote open access to the outcomes of FRQ-funded research and to ensure their quick dissemination and free access (for the reader) to the scientific community, potential users, policy-makers and the general public.” (Open access dissemination policy - FRQ)

FRQ OA Policy Applies to Research Outputs from FRQ Grants:

• Peer-reviewed journal publications
• Theses
• Does NOT apply to data or monographs (making these open is encouraged)

How can I make my publications open access?

1) Deposit a peer-reviewed version of your article (also known as the accepted manuscript or postprint) in an open-access repository such as Concordia University’s Spectrum.

Researchers must ensure that their author agreements permit depositing their work openly within the accepted time frame. Search Open Policy Finder for journal self-archiving policies. If a journal's self-archiving policy is too restrictive, consider signing the SPARC Author Addendum before publishing to retain select rights, such as the rights to reproduce, reuse, and publicly present your article.

2) Publish in an open-access journal. For journals that use Article Processing Charges (APCs), these APCs are allowable FRQ grant expenses. Concordia University Library supports a range of APC discounts.

Does posting a copy on my website or on ResearchGate/Academia.edu count as open access?

No. To meet the definition of the repository the site must "must be open to all" (FRQ policy p.6). FRQ policy recognizes 1) deposits in an institutional or disciplinary repository, or 2) publication in an open-access journal (FRQ policy p.4).

How can I pay for article processing charges (APCs)?

APCs are grant-eligible expenses (note: for grants awarded after July 2022, APCs are only permitted for fully OA journals, i.e. not hybrid journals). Concordia authors may benefit from APC discounts through institutional memberships with publishers.

How can I embargo my thesis?

Students can write directly to the FRQ to request the withholding of their thesis to publish open access. They also need to write separately to the School of Graduate Studies to obtain an approved embargo in accordance with Thesis Regulations.

Full FRQ Policy and Additional Reading

Revised 2022 Version (English; Français)

2019 Version (English; Français)

FRQ Foire aux questions  (FRQ FAQ only available in French). 

See related guide: Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications

Check journal compliance with Tri-Agency and FRQ open access requirements using the Open Policy Finder.

Page adapted from McGill’s FRQ Open Access Page 

Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications

The Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications emerges from the belief that “advancement is made possible through widespread and barrier-free access to cutting-edge research and knowledge, enabling researchers, scholars, clinicians, policymakers, private sector and not-for-profit organizations and the public to use and build on this knowledge.” (Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications; New Draft, Revised Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications, 2026). The policy in its current and revised forms is meant to make the results of publicly-funded research accessible while increasing the dissemination and exchange of peer-reviewed journal publications arisen from funding. )

New Draft, Revised Tri-Agency OA Policy (2026)

The revised Tri-Agency OA Policy goes into effect on January 1, 2026. Researchers are encouraged to plan for the policy revisions as soon as possible. The Library is working on processes to assist researchers with meeting these new requirements.

Agency grantees and chairholders must:

• Acknowledge Agency contributions in all research outputs, including but not limited to peer-reviewed research articles, that were funded, in whole or in part, by the Agency, quoting the funder name and funding reference number (e.g., FRN, Application ID).
• Deposit their research article in a Canadian institutional repository at the time of publication, such as Spectrum, even where the article is freely available on the publisher website. The version deposited may be either the version of record (VoR) or author-accepted manuscript (AAM) and must be deposited under an open license (Creative Commons or equivalent).
• Retain rights over the dissemination of any peer-reviewed research article arising from agency-funded research. Researchers are asked to inform the publisher and/or journal of their obligations and rights under the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications when submitting their article for publication. Instructions and a template letter will be provided, linked to the final Policy. In cases where authors are prohibited by the journal and/or publisher from depositing the VoR or AAM in a repository at the time of publication, preprints deposited under an open license will be accepted as compliant with this policy. Preprints should be marked as "unrefereed version."

Tri-Agency OA Policy (2015)

How can I make my publications open access?

1) Deposit the peer-reviewed version of your article (also known as the accepted manuscript or postprint) in an open-access repository such as Concordia University’s Spectrum. Note that the Tri-Agency has implemented a rights retention strategy to facilitate compliance with its OA policy at no additional cost to the researcher. Learn more about publishing contracts and your author rights. Learn more about rights retention and PlanS.

2) Publish in an open-access journal. For journals that use Article Processing Charges (APCs), these APCs are allowable grant expenses (see use of grant funds). Concordia University Library supports a range of APC discounts.

Full Tri-Agency Policy and Additional Reading

New Draft, Revised Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications, 2026 (English; Français)

Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications, 2015 (English; Français)

Tri-Agency Frequently Asked Questions (English; Français)

See related guide: Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) Open Access Policy

Review journals' open archiving policies using Open Policy Finder.

Author Rights, Copyright at Concordia Guide

Questions?

Rachel Harris, Scholarly Publishing Librarian
rachel.harris@concordia.ca