Research results that have been produced on the basis of funding from the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) should be published (in accordance with the DFG guidelines for use, the so called "Verwendungsrichtlinien"). The DFG encourages researchers to publish their results in Open Access, but does not stipulate any obligation to publish in this way.

With its funding porgram Open Access Publication Funding, the DFG supports the publication of scientific content in freely accessible and reusable form on a large scale. The corresponding funds are applied for by scientific institutions, such as universities, and not by individuals. The institutions then manage the third-party funds, e.g. in the form of publication funds; any scientist at the respective institution can apply for funding from these funds. Scientific journal articles are eligible for funding, even if they are not the result of DFG-funded research. Contratry to books, which are only eligible for funding through the Open Access Publication Funding program if they are the result of DFG-funded research. For books that are not the result of such funding the DFG Publication Grants program is available. The funding conditions of the four institutions involved in BerlinUP can be found on the respective pages of the publication funds (see link list).

In addition to the large-scale funding guideline, it is also possible to apply for open access publication funding for individual research projects. Here, the DFG pays a lump sum of 750 € per year. If the publication costs of individual articles exceed this amount, it is also possible to reallocate material or personnel funds and use them to cover the publication costs. Before you use your third-party funds, you should seek advice from your university library or BerlinUP to check whether there are co-financing options or cheaper alternatives.