Extension of the funding model for Norwegian-language diamond open-access journals

Commissioned by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, the National Board of Scholarly Publishing (NPU) published a report (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19594267) recommending that Norway’s national funding model for Norwegian-language journals be extended to all academic disciplines. Since 2018, Norway has operated a national funding model for Norwegian-language journals in the humanities and social sciences based on diamond open access principles (no APCs). Funding is awarded for three-year periods, with journals evaluated by NPU disciplinary expert panels and final decisions made by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. In 2024, 43 journals were included and fully funded. In 2025, the government initiated an assessment of extending the model beyond SSH. NPU was tasked with analyzing the broader journal landscape and proposing recommendations. The report recommends (i) opening the model to all disciplines, (ii) increasing the budget from NOK 12 million to NOK 15.5 million, and (iii) extending funding periods from three to four years. The government has decided to adopt these recommendations, subject to final budget approval in October 2026. The report also highlights Nordic policy implications. Current eligibility criteria require at least 50% of content to be published in Scandinavian languages, although most Nordic journals publish primarily in English. A previous Nordic SSH funding model, administered by NOP-HS under NOS-HS, supported about 40 journals before ending in 2023. NPU recommends that Norway work to re-establish a Nordic funding model during its 2027 presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.