Learn about MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program
In a fast-changing Open Access environment, research institutions and libraries are adjusting their workflows and taking on additional administrative and advocacy work. MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) helps institutions and researchers manage the transition to Open Access publishing.
What is MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program?
According to Nikoleta Kiapidou, Institutional Engagement Coordinator at MDPI, “the IOAP is MDPI´s way of working closer together with libraries, funders, and societies”. As she explains, it offers access to our online Submission System where librarians can see the article metadata of published papers and papers under processing, Article Processing Charges (APC) invoices, Editorial Board Members, and other information. It provides full transparency with respect to papers submitted to our journals and their APCs and allows for an early notification of possible APCs.
Thanks to this initiative, institutions can facilitate central APC payment and even deposit an amount in a pre-payment pot to cover the APCs of eligible authors from their central funds. Moreover, through this program, MDPI can consolidate invoices and adjust the invoicing process to the institutions’ needs.
The program includes auto-archiving of papers published by affiliated authors into the institutional repositories. Moreover, researchers affiliated with participating universities are granted a 10% discount on the APC for any paper published in an MDPI journal, while the institution incurs no fee for participating in the program.
Subscribing to IOAP
The standard program package is free with no fixed term, and options for higher discounts are available with discounts of up to 25% for authors. Also, Societies can also benefit from an equivalent program. So, if you are interested in finding out more, please contact us via the form here.
All the features of the Institutional Open Access Program aim at transparency and control for libraries and help save time and reduce administrative workloads. We are glad to see our participant list growing fast, with over 400 participant institutions, as of 2018. As Dr. Kiapidou mentions, “being connected with individual libraries around the world is vital in order to contribute to the research and scholarly communications community and be involved in the movement for full Open Access”.
MDPI Cover Letter & APC Waiver Request
Subject: Submission & APC Waiver Request: “Sustainability of youth empowerment programs and relative poverty alleviation among youths in Vihiga County, Kenya”
The Managing Editor,
[Insert Specific MDPI Journal Name Here, e.g., Social Sciences]
MDPI Editorial Office
RE: MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION AND DISCRETIONARY APC WAIVER REQUEST
Dear Editor,
I am submitting our original research manuscript entitled “Sustainability of Youth Empowerment Programs and Relative Poverty Alleviation among Youths in Vihiga County, Kenya” for consideration for publication as a full research article in [Insert MDPI Journal Name].
This study focuses on the empirical evaluation of the structural aspects of youth empowerment programs (sustainability, funding, capacity-building, supportive structures) and subsequent analysis of their impact on relative poverty alleviation using a grounded theory and Maslow’s needs hierarchy framework. Mixed methods were employed to interrogate a convenience sample of 18–35 year-old youths in Vihiga County Kenya (N=354, achieving an 88.7% response rate). Descriptive, Pearson’s correlation and thematic analyses were performed on the dataset. We believe these findings perfectly align with your journal’s scope regarding social development, socioeconomic frameworks, and community advancement.
Application for Article Processing Charge (APC) Waiver:
I am a final-year self-sponsored postgraduate student at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kenya. This research did not receive any external grant funding and I personally finance my postgraduate studies. Due to severe financial constraints I most humbly request a full or substantial discretionary waiver of the Article Processing Charge (APC).
Publishing in a recognized, DOAJ-indexed journal is a mandatory institutional requirement for my upcoming December 2026 graduation timeline. A waiver from the editorial board will directly enable the open-access dissemination of these localized findings without imposing an unattainable financial burden on a student researcher. If acceptable within your rigorous evaluation framework I am prepared to fully engage with your fast-track electronic workflow and commit to returning all peer-review revision requirements within 48 hours.
This manuscript is original, has not been published previously, and is not concurrently under evaluation by any other journal portal.
Thank you for your time, consideration and support of early-career researchers from developing regional environments.
Yours faithfully,
Edward Alema
Department of Criminology and Social Work,
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kenya
Tel: +254 704 309 404 / +254 727 170 650
Email: edwardalema7@gmail.com
ORCID: 0009-0004-3980-074X
Hi,
Thank you for your comment. You can find more information about waivers here: https://www.mdpi.com/apc#discounts_apc
Please contact the journal you plan to submit to directly.
All the best.