Advancing open science together: our 2024 journey

As we close 2024, we reflect on a year marked by collaboration and progress in advancing academic communication and expanding access to knowledge. Libraries have been at the heart of this transformation, playing a pivotal role in driving open access and open science forward. Through their leadership, we have forged new connections and strengthened existing partnerships, all with the shared goal of empowering institutions and their communities with equitable access to research.

We are proud to have welcomed several renowned institutions to our growing network of partners. These new partnerships represent significant strides in expanding access to a wide range of disciplines at a national level. At the same time, we celebrate and thank our long-standing partners for their continued trust and commitment to advancing open access through innovative, library-driven solutions.

By championing fully open models and fostering transparent collaboration, libraries are shaping a future where knowledge is accessible to all. As we celebrate the successes of 2024, we remain focused on building upon this momentum in 2025—working together to create a more open, inclusive, and impactful academic publishing ecosystem.

New partnership announcements

Joining our community at the end of this year are the following institutions: 

• IRCCS Fondazione Human Technopole - Milano 

• Medical University of Silesia 

• Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau 

• University of Hohenheim 

Introducing the fully OA flat fee model

This year marked the official launch of our fully open access flat fee model, a significant milestone in our mission to support institutions and researchers with simplified and cost-effective publishing solutions. We extend our heartfelt thank you to our pilot institutions for their invaluable support and collaboration in bringing this model to fruition. Your feedback and engagement have been instrumental in shaping its success, and we look forward to continuing to work together to refine and expand its impact. 

The flat fee model offers institutions and researchers key benefits by removing payment obstacles and streamlining the publishing process. With a single, predictable annual fee, institutions can provide their researchers with unlimited open access publishing across all our journals. This approach simplifies budgeting and administrative workflows, empowering libraries and universities to better manage publishing costs. 

For researchers, the flat fee model eliminates the need for individual APC payments, allowing them to focus on their work without financial or administrative distractions. 

We are looking forward to building on this foundation, providing even greater support to the research community in the years ahead. 

Events news

As the year draws to a close, we reflect on two pivotal events that have shaped discussions around the future of academic publishing. During Open Access Week 2024, themed “Community over Commercialization,” Frontiers reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and collaboration. This theme resonates deeply with our mission to offer community-centric publishing models that challenge traditional subscription systems and costly transformative agreements. We invite you to explore how we are driving the transition toward a more equitable publishing future through our reflections on Open Access Week. 

Additionally, the 2024 Charleston Conference, held from 11–15 November and themed “The Sky’s the Limit,” provided an inspiring forum for examining the evolving publishing landscape. Discussions on topics such as Library Partnership Ratings (LPRs), the growth of community-driven open access initiatives, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) underscored the shared commitment among librarians and publishers to foster equity, inclusion, and sustainability. Charleston highlighted that collaboration is not just a goal but a necessity in creating a more open and impactful academic ecosystem. 

Dive deeper into these discussions and learn how they are shaping the future of publishing by reading our full articles on these events. 

We also take this opportunity to inform that Frontiers will be attending and sponsoring several key events in 2025, including APE, Researcher to Reader, Convegno delle Stelline, and UKSG. These conferences offer important venues for discussion, and we appreciate the chance to engage with the academic community. Further details on our participation will be shared early in the new year. We look forward to connecting with colleagues and peers at these events. 

Catch up on other news from Frontiers

Frontiers for Young Minds Nobel Collection: Three new Nobel Prize-winning breakthroughs shared by Laureates with young readers 

Frontiers requests open dialogue and transparent evidence regarding JUFO evaluation 

Open Letter to Sari Multala, Minister of Science and Culture, Finland, and the JUFO steering group 

Experts reveal how revolutionary technological advances could use the sun to source hydrogen fuel 

Could your institution partner with Frontiers?

Hundreds of institutions across the world already collaborate with Frontiers in this way. To set up an institutional partnership with Frontiers, or if you require more information, please visit our website or contact us at institutions@frontiersin.org. If you want to recommend Frontiers' institutional plans to your librarian, please complete this form.  

Did you miss out on our last update? Read all about it here. 

Other collaborations at Frontiers

Did you know Frontiers also forms partnerships with societies, launching new titles or transitioning existing journals to gold open access? Societies retain complete ownership of their journals while receiving support from a professional team, including a dedicated journal manager. Find the full list of our publishing partners.

For more information about Frontiers’ publishing partnerships, visit our website.