Cancer Research UK Open Access funding changes

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is changing the way it supports Open Access publishing. From 1 October 2026, CRUK funds can no longer be used to pay article processing charges for papers submitted on or after that date. CRUK-funded research must nevertheless continue to be made openly available. 

Plan your publishing route before submission 

Researchers should check their target journal before submitting a manuscript and again if publication is delayed or a transfer is proposed.  

• University publisher agreements may allow immediate Open Access at no additional cost, but agreements can change. 
• Where a fully Open Access journal charges an APC and is not covered by an agreement, CRUK funding will not be available after 1 October. Early advice is therefore important to avoid an unpayable invoice or the need to withdraw a paper. Investigate your potential journal/s and their Open Access options as early in the publishing process as possible, to avoid risking an unpayable invoice or the need to withdraw a paper. The Library’s Office for Open Research can support you – please get in touch.
• Where a group leader has eligible funding from another source, CRUK has confirmed that those funds may be used for Open Access costs regardless of the researcher’s position or affiliation with a CRUK institute. The terms of the other funder must still be checked. 

You can also review our knowledge base article on Open Access options for journals frequently used by CRUK-funded authors. 

Keep your accepted manuscript 

CRUK's policy change means that many CRUK-funded authors will need to arrange Green Open Access for their CRUK-funded papers. To do this, authors should retain a clean copy of the Author Accepted Manuscript, with tracked changes and comments removed. The manuscript should be deposited via Pure or the Open Access Gateway to enable the Library to manage repository and compliance processes, including those related to the REF. 

Europe PMC requirement 

Authors will also need to ensure that the paper is available through Europe Pubmed Central (EPMC) no later than six months after publication. Researchers should keep the accepted manuscript safe and set a reminder for this action. More detailed guidance on the EPMC process is being developed with CRUK colleagues and partner institutions, and will be shared in due course. 

Access support 

The Office for Open Research can help researchers check publisher agreements, identify a compliant publishing route, and consider mixed-funder cases. Contact us before submission if you are unsure. 

• CRUK: Open Access options for frequently-used journals.
• You can read more about CRUK’s OA policy change via the CRUK blog.
• The Library’s planned support for CRUK-funded authors is outlined in our recent blog post.
• Information on CRUK Open Access requirements and funding considerations is available via our knowledge base. 

Lucy May, Open Research Manager