There is a very clear document on the Research Information Network website (pdf file), setting out the way in which either the direct or the indirect full economic costing mechanism can be used by authors for this purpose. The direct route is to be preferred, as this ensures that the money is granted and used for the specific purpose of funding open access (OA) publication charges. For Research Council grants, OA publication charges can be included as part of "Other" costs on the application form. The only problem with the direct route is one of timing, as the money allocated will need to be spent within the grant period. Good liaison between author and publisher will be needed to ensure that once an agreement to publish has been reached there are no delays in invoicing or in payment. The indirect route under FEC can be used after the end of the grant period, but the author will need the cooperation of university administrators to ensure that money is available for the specific purpose of paying OA publication charges.
Accessing funds for author-pays open access for UK based authors
