Biomolecules and Biomedicine

Institutional Open Access Program

1. Overview

Biomolecules and Biomedicine is an international, peer-reviewed, fully open access journal in general medicine and molecular life sciences, published by the Association of Basic Medical Sciences of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABMSFB&H). The journal is indexed in Web of Science (SCIE & JCR), PubMed/MEDLINE and PubMed Central, Scopus, DOAJ and other major databases, and is fully compliant with Plan S and major funder mandates.

To support researchers and institutions in sustainable open access publishing, Biomolecules and Biomedicine offers an Institutional Open Access Program for universities, hospitals, research institutes and library consortia. The program provides transparent APC discounts, optional pre-payment models and regular reporting, while keeping administration simple for both authors and libraries.

This page describes the key features of the program and outlines how libraries can join.

2. About the journal and publisher

• Journal: Biomolecules and Biomedicine (online-only, continuous publication, 12 issues per year)
• Publisher: Association of Basic Medical Sciences of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABMSFB&H), a non-profit professional society
• Scope: General medicine, biomedical sciences, molecular biology, translational and clinical research
• Open access model: Gold OA, immediate and permanent open access to all articles
• License: CC BY 4.0 for all published content
• Article Processing Charge (APC): €1695 per accepted article (standard rate; subject to periodic review)
• Waiver policy:
  • Full waivers for authors from low-income countries
  • Partial discounts for lower-middle and upper-middle income countries
  • Case-by-case waivers for authors with demonstrated financial need
• Editorial standards: Double-blind peer review, COPE-aligned publishing ethics, iThenticate plagiarism screening and image integrity checks

The institutional program builds on this foundation and offers participating institutions structured benefits and predictable support for their researchers.

3. Program goals

The Institutional Open Access Program is designed to:

• Reduce financial barriers for authors by offering systematic APC discounts and/or centrally funded APCs.
• Support institutional OA strategies and compliance with funder mandates (Plan S, Horizon Europe, national OA policies).
• Simplify administration for libraries and research offices through transparent reporting and flexible invoicing options.
• Strengthen collaboration between Biomolecules and Biomedicine and leading research institutions in the biomedical and life sciences fields.

4. Program models

The program is flexible and can be tailored to institutional needs. In most cases, one of the following models is used, or a combination of them.

4.1. Institutional Discount Agreement (no membership fee)

This is the simplest model and involves no membership or platform fee.

• The institution signs an agreement with the publisher.
• All corresponding or submitting authors affiliated with the institution receive a fixed APC discount on the journal’s standard APC.
• The APC can be paid by the author, their department, a grant, or the institution; all still benefit from the institutional discount.
• The journal provides regular reports (e.g. quarterly or twice per year) on submissions and accepted articles from the institution, including APCs billed and discounts applied.

4.2. Pre-paid APC Agreement / Publishing Fund

In this model the institution maintains a pre-paid balance with the publisher:

• The institution pays an agreed annual amount (e.g. a pre-paid APC fund).
• APCs for accepted articles by eligible authors are deducted from this balance (often with an additional discount compared to the standard rate).
• Optionally, a cap can be set on the number of fully APC-funded articles per year.
• The journal provides detailed usage reports and alerts when the balance is low, so the institution can top up or adjust its commitment.

4.3. Consortial and multi-site agreements

For consortia or multi-campus institutions, Biomolecules and Biomedicine can offer:

• A single framework agreement covering multiple institutions or campuses.
• Shared or differentiated discount rates and/or pre-paid balances per member, depending on expected volume.
• Central reporting and contact points for the consortium, with breakdowns per member institution.

Consortial arrangements can be negotiated on request and adapted to local policies and workflows.

5. Eligibility and workflow

5.1. Eligible authors

Typically, authors are eligible if, at the time of submission and acceptance, they are employed by or formally affiliated with a participating institution (e.g. staff, PhD candidate, postdoctoral researcher, clinician, or other researchers as defined in the agreement).

The specific definition of eligibility can be tailored in the agreement with each institution or consortium.

5.2. Identification of eligible authors

• Eligibility is normally confirmed via the institutional affiliation listed in the manuscript, institutional email domains, or internal affiliation IDs.
• During submission, authors are asked to select their institution from a list of participating partners or indicate their eligibility.
• The editorial office may verify eligibility with the library / OA team where needed.

5.3. Publishing workflow

1. Authors submit their article via the journal’s online submission system.
2. The article undergoes standard peer review and editorial assessment; participation in the program does not influence editorial decisions.
3. Upon acceptance, if the corresponding/submitting author is eligible under an institutional agreement:
   • the agreed discount is applied to the APC, or
   • the APC is charged against the institution’s pre-paid balance, according to the agreement.
4. The article is published OA under CC BY 4.0 and deposited in relevant indexing and archiving services.

6. Reporting and transparency

For each participating institution or consortium, Biomolecules and Biomedicine provides regular reports that may include:

• Number of submissions and accepted articles by authors from the institution
• Article-level information (title, DOI, corresponding author, department/unit where available)
• APC amounts, discounts applied, and charges against pre-paid balances
• Breakdown by article type (research article, review, etc.) if requested

The reporting format and frequency (e.g. quarterly, twice per year, annually) can be adapted to institutional needs.

7. Benefits for libraries and institutions

• Support for OA policies and mandates through a partnership with a fully OA, Plan S-compliant, CC BY journal indexed in major databases.
• Financial predictability through agreed discount levels and optional pre-paid APC funds.
• Reduced administrative workload via centralised reporting and, where desired, central APC management.
• Increased visibility for institutional research in a reputable international biomedical journal.
• Flexibility to start with a simple discount model and evolve to more advanced arrangements as needed.

8. How to join

Libraries, research offices or consortia interested in joining the Biomolecules and Biomedicine Institutional Open Access Program are invited to:

1. Contact the editorial office or publisher with a brief expression of interest, including:
   • name of the institution/consortium;
   • approximate number of biomedical/clinical researchers;
   • any existing OA policies or APC funds;
   • preferred model (discount-only or pre-paid APC fund).
2. Discuss expected publishing volume, discount levels and reporting needs with the journal’s representative.
3. Sign a short Institutional Open Access Agreement outlining discount levels, eligibility rules, payment arrangements and reporting.

For inquiries and proposals, please contact: