The results of SNSF-funded projects must be published in Open Access, to guarantee free and immediate use by all interested parties. Starting in 2027, the SNSF will update its funding regulations for open access (OA) publications introduced in 2018, to reflect the evolution of publication practices.

The SNSF covers the costs of publishing articles in a fully OA journal. So far, it covered the article processing charges (APCs) set by publishers.
From 1 January 2027, the SNSF will impose a maximum publication fee of CHF 3,500.
Partial payments of higher fees are excluded.

The SNSF funds academic book publications in the form of monographs and edited volumes that have undergone a peer review process. As of 2027, the SNSF will only fund OA books that are a direct result of SNSF-funded projects.

The maximum funding amount for the basic module will be reduced from CHF 15,000 to 12,000. The modular structure remains unchanged: as is currently the case, researchers will still be able to apply for various additional modules as needed.

PhD theses will continue to be funded even if they are not related to an SNSF-funded project. However, publishers must now arrange a peer-review of the full manuscript. The evaluation reports produced by universities will no longer suffice for quality assurance.

The guidelines of the USI Gold OA Fund are currently being updated to better reflect and align to the above-mentioned changes. The academic community will be informed in due course on their novelties and new application procedures.