The Australian Research Council (ARC) has updated its Open Access (OA) Policy, changing how ARC‑funded research outputs must be shared. If you’re planning an ARC application or publishing outputs from future ARC-funded research, these changes will affect how and where you publish. 

OA requirements should be considered early in the publishing process to help avoid unexpected costs or delays. 

At a glance: 

• The updated ARC OA Policy (version 2026.1) starts on 1 July 2026 and applies to ARC grant schemes opening from that date, as set out in the relevant grant guidelines or agreement. 
• Immediate OA with a CC BY licence will be required for: 
  • journal articles 
  • peer-reviewed conference papers.
• OA within 12 months (with a CC BY licence strongly preferred) will be required for: 
  • monographs 
  • edited volumes
  • book chapters 
  • research reports. 
• Creative works will be strongly encouraged to be made OA where possible. 
• Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) will be mandatory for all research outputs, including creative works. 
• All relevant research outputs must acknowledge ARC funding, including the grant ID, grant DOI and ARC ROR. 
• Multiple compliant routes are available: 
  • Use a CAUL Read and Publish agreement, subject to eligibility conditions, caps and limitations. 
  • Publish in another open access or hybrid journal, paying any APCs using grant or other funding, if applicable. 
  • Retain sufficient rights to apply a CC BY licence and deposit your Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) in Griffith Research Online (GRO), by carefully following the required process. 
  • Submit creative works to the Creative Works repository. 

Which options are available? 

There are several compliant pathways. The best option will depend on your journal choice, funding availability and publishing timeline. 

Option 1: Use a CAUL negotiated agreement 

Griffith participates in CAUL (Council of Australian University Librarians) Read and Publish agreements, which allow researchers to publish OA in many journals without paying article processing charges (APCs). 

To use this option:

• Select a journal included in a CAUL agreement.
• Use the GRAPA Journal Finder to explore your publishing options.
• Follow all instructions on the CAUL Read and Publish website when submitting. 

Important notes: 

• Not all publishers, or all journals within a publisher’s portfolio, are included. 
• Caps, exclusions and conditions apply. 
• Corresponding authors must use their Griffith email address to be eligible. 
• At the time of writing, the Wiley gold open access publishing cap is expected to be reached in November, or possibly earlier. 
  • Articles must be accepted for publication before the cap is reached to be eligible. 
  • If acceptance occurs after the cap is reached, APCs must be paid by the author using grant or other funding. 

Option 2: Publish in an open access or hybrid journal outside our agreements 

You are not limited to journals included in Griffith’s CAUL agreements. Researchers may also publish in: 

• community‑driven, organisation‑supported ‘diamond’ journals, which do not charge APCs 
• other open access or hybrid journals and pay APCs using grant or other funding, where appropriate. 

Option 3: Retain rights and deposit in Griffith Research Online 

Another compliant pathway is rights retention, which allows immediate OA even when publishing in subscription journals.  

To use this route: 

• At manuscript submission, retain sufficient rights to apply a CC BY licence to your Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) by including the ARC‑specified rights retention statement: 
  • ‘This research was funded in whole or part by The Australian Research Council [grant identification number and DOI]. For the purposes of compliance with the funder’s open access policy, the author has applied a CC BY licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.’ 

• Keep a record showing the statement was provided at submission (for example, via the journal’s online platform or email correspondence). 
• Before signing, review any publishing agreement to ensure it is consistent with the rights and licence already applied. 
• Submit your AAM to GRO via email ([email protected]) immediately upon acceptance. 

This ensures compliance even if the publisher’s version remains behind a paywall. 

What about creative works, reports and working papers? 

Creative works 

Griffith researchers from selected schools and institutes can make their research outputs available via the Creative Works repository. The work will be assigned a DOI, and be more easily discovered, shared and cited.  

Reports and working papers 

Use the DOI request form to obtain a DOI for your research report or working paper. A DOI ensures the resource remains findable, accessible and citable over time. 

Access more information and support 

For full policy details, see the full ARC Open Access Policy.  

 If you have questions about publishing options, rights retention, DOIs or depositing your work, contact the Library.