New Fund Helping Faculty Authors at Queen's

Publishing scholarly works is becoming easier for faculty authors at Queen’s University thanks to a new Scholarly Publishing Fund (SPF) pilot program created by Queen’s University Library (QUL) and University Research Services, part of the Vice Principal Research (VPR) Portfolio. The program will aid with ancillary publishing costs many authors are currently covering out of pocket. These costs can be upwards of $5000 for a single publication, and can create barriers to publishing for authors, and may limit the content included in the final published work to the detriment of readers and authors alike.

This pilot program was created with the aim of overcoming challenges often faced by early career faculty, particularly those in the social sciences and humanities, and will be used toward publisher subventions and other publication costs. By facilitating a funding source tailored to meeting these financial burdens, authors at Queen’s will see obstacles removed from the publishing pipeline, while being able to elevate the quality of their publications through use of elements such as indexing, maps, illustrations, and other copyrighted material.

Launching in the fall of 2022 with an initial lifespan of three years, the SPF will have a total of $50,000 available to assist with publishing costs over its duration, with a call for applications from faculty authors twice per year. Applications will be adjudicated throughout the year by a faculty committee toward ensuring funds are distributed in accordance with the purpose and disciplines intended for the SPF. All funding requests must support peer-reviewed publications in Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) aligned fields, with priority given for subventions that enable publishing of new scholarly works.

“Supporting faculty authors is among the most rewarding parts of our work so removing obstacles and fostering greater opportunities, particularly for scholars early in their career, is something to which we are very pleased to be contributing. We’re grateful to University Research Services for their impactful collaboration throughout the successful development and launch of this pilot program”, said Vice Provost and University Librarian Mark Asberg.

The program at Queen’s is inspired by a similar initiative at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and reflects Queen’s University’s commitment to supporting humanities, social science, and creative and performing arts faculty seeking to publish their work in peer reviewed outlets. QUL is grateful to be facilitating this initiative in collaboration with the VPR toward holistic improvements to the scholarly publishing landscape.