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Ways to join and interact with OpenAIRE

Co-shape Open Science with us

Different ways to participate and interact with OpenAIRE

As more organisations seek to invest in and actively shape the Open Scholarly Communication infrastructure, OpenAIRE offers a flexible membership structure that makes it easier for them to join as full members or form partnerships through non-binding frameworks for participation.

Why become a member

The transition to Open Science is not trivial, and your investments need to guarantee the best possible results. Open Science, done right, requires a holistic and systematic approach, with clear goals and a roadmap for implementation that allows your institution to develop new organizational models and structures. At your own pace. National strategies and infrastructures on Open Science are being shaped and put in place covering many areas, each requiring special attention on how to address costs, deployments, connections, legal and ethical issues: Open Access to publications, Open/FAIR research data and software, services/infrastructure connected to national and European infrastructure, upskilling.

Part of your strategic journey to be open is to ensure your institution adopts community-set standards and best practices and to use state-of-the-art services that rely on open. By being a member of OpenAIRE, you join an organisation that hasoperational expertise in Open Scholarly Communication, a major component of Open Science that fulfils the needs of institutions for opening up and sharing research.

What you gain by joining OpenAIRE

Grow competencies

in Open Science via the established shared knowledge network of 50+ OpenAIRE organisations. Learn from peers on how to set and update your Open Science implementation roadmap (both policy and infrastructure) to guarantee uptake and impact.

Co-create and co-own

OpenAIRE standards and services and shape them to fit your needs, including business models.

Deploy OpenAIRE services

locally to connect in an off the shelf manner to national and European infrastructure (including the European Open Science Cloud). Get considerable discounts, as well as privileged access and priority of support.

Participate in national / global Open Science fora

Be an active and visible member of the national and global Open Science community by leading or participating in existing or initiating new activities, by representing OpenAIRE in national infrastructure and/or international fora, by hosting the OSFAIR Conference.

Grow leadership skills 

in Open Scholarly Communication areas that interest you by participating in EU proposals with OpenAIRE.

Membership

In a nutshell: Join the organisation; Participate in or chair Standing Committees & Working Groups; Co-shape services and policies; Receive discounts on use of services for own use.
  • Participate in all governance bodies: Standing Committees, Working Groups, Executive Board.
  • Co-shape and co-develop services, standards and training material, which are used worldwide.
  • Have privileged access & priority of support to the use and deployment of OpenAIRE services.
  • Receive discount in use of services.
  • Get support for shaping/receiving national OS funding, and participate with, or on behalf of OpenAIRE in EU funding.
  • Act as a trusted partners to guide the design, implementation, and operation of OpenAIRE services.
  • Take part in Tech Clinics for services and training bootcamps.
  • Receive support in the organisation of national events and discounts in events organised by OpenAIRE
  • OpenAIRE Members are eligible organisations from EU Member States (EUMS) and/or Member States of the Council of Europe.  
  • Eligible types of organisations are Research Performing Organisations, European Research Infrastructures (ERICs), Research Infrastructures, e-Infrastructures, Research Funding Organisations (RFOs), European or International Associations, as well as Intergovernmental Organisation or International Organisations (IGOs) and Not for Profit Multinational Organisations.
  • National Open Access Desks are designated members that cast vote representing all members from one country / juridstiction.
  • Members pay an annual fee based on a tiered system on Eurostat's GERD Index (see below).

Other types of participation

In a nutshell: Co-develop OpenAIRE services, resources or training material; Co-provide, or become an intermediary provider of an OpenAIRE service/training (b2b); Support building of Open Science communities
  • Cooperating Partners are third parties that cooperate with OpenAIRE through specific written and appropriately approved agreements.
  • Cooperating Partnerswho share same values and goals with OpenAIRE and are bound by the OpenAIRE Bylaws and Code of Ethics.
  • Cooperating Partners and OpenAIRE mutually commit to sharing resources such as services/technology, knowledge, people, in order to achieve mutually agreed-upon goals.
  • Cooperating partners are not taking part in the decision making process, but are actively engaged in the development and/or provision of services and/or the development and engagement of different communities.
  • The cooperation partnership is described in a Cooperation Agreement, with set dates and commitments of resources from both sides (incl. Communication, co-branding), with a minimum of 2 years.
  • Examples of Cooperating Partners are funders, commercial providers, Research Infrastructures, global initiatives, non-profit organisations that either do not fit in the categories of eligible members, as stipulated by the statutory documents, or they wish to have a looser relationship with OpenAIRE.
  • There is no subscription fee as such, but it is expected that Collaborating Partners will commit resources to achieve the set objectives. Once developments turn to service operations, any operational costs will be covered as service subscriptions.
In a nutshell: Have access to OpenAIRE services by paying an annual subscription fee.
  • Organisations that only wish to use one or more OpenAIRE services.
  • Subscribers do not participate in any OpenAIRE decision making processes (Standing Committees and Executive Board).
  • Subscribers may participate in OpenAIRE Working Groups to support the steering of tangible results that may affect the services.
  • Receive discounts in use of services they subscribe to.
  • Participate in Tech Clinics for services they subscribe to.
  • There are no limitations as to the type of organisation that could be an OpenAIRE Subscriber.
  • Subscribers will receive an SLA or an SLD for the services they receive.
  • Service Subscription fees depend on the services being used and the bundle of services.
  • Pricing is under development from our internal Business Model Working Group, and the final subscription fees will be announced within 2023.

Fees for members

The following fee tiered structure for members is effective from 2024.

  • NOADs, Research Performing and Research Funding Organisations' fees are differentiated based on the Gross Domestic expenditure on Research and Development (Eurostat GERD) (TIER 1-3).
  • Non-profit organisations and ERICs will pay an annual fee of 1000 Euros (TIER 4).
Tier Threshold GERD Fee in Euros
Tier 1 2.5 - 5.0 2500
Tier 2 1.0 - 2.5 1500
Tier 3 0.0 - 1.0 500
Tier 4 Flat 1000
Discounts are foreseen in the following cases:
  • Group membership from National Consortia: 10% for 2-3 members, 20% 4-6 members, 30% for 7+ members.
  • Organisations that come from countries with austerity, war or similar extraordinary conditions will pay 0 fees. Criteria to be decided by the EB*.

Compare membership types

  Member (NOAD) Member Subscriber
GOVERNANCE
Vote in the GA Yes Yes  
EB Member Yes Yes  
Participate in SCs Yes Yes  
Chair SCs Yes Yes  
Participate in WGs Yes Yes Yes
Chair WGs Yes Yes  
Coordinate OpenAIRE activities in the country Yes    
SERVICES
Privileged access & priority of support to the use and deployment of OpenAIRE services Yes Yes Based on Service SLA
Lead & negotiate national consortium service bundle Yes    
Get discount in use of services 30% 30% 15%
Participate in Tech Clinics for services In all In all Per target service
Participate in training bootcamps 2 persons 2 persons  
COMMUNICATION
Promote national services, position and events via OpenAIRE channels Yes Yes  
Receive support for the organisation of national events Yes    
Receive discount in OSFair registration 20% 20% 10%
CO-FUNDING
Get support for shaping/receiving national OS funding Yes    
Participate in joint funding efforts First say Yes  

Join

If you are interested in investing in Open Science and want to co-shape an Open Scholarly Communication Infrastructure, then OpenAIRE is the place for you.  

Download our leaflets for more information