1. Partner Benefits

Participating institutions receive access to a dedicated dashboard integrated into MDPI's submission system, SuSy. The dashboard provides real-time information on manuscript submissions by affiliated researchers, article metadata, current APC information, downloadable reports, and editorial engagement.

Researchers affiliated with participating institutions can receive APC discounts across MDPI journals, which may be combined with other eligible discounts, such as reviewer vouchers. They may also receive a 10% discount on book and chapter processing charges for MDPI Books and a 15% discount on MDPI's language editing services. In addition, institutions can arrange automated deposits of eligible publications into institutional repositories through the SWORD 1.3 protocol. A designated contact at MDPI provides support for program-related inquiries ^[1].

2. Agreement Models

IOAP offers two principal agreement models.

Flat-Fee Agreement: Institutions with a demonstrated history of substantial and ongoing publication activity may enter into an annual flat-fee agreement. Depending on the terms of the agreement, the fee covers a fixed or unlimited number of eligible articles published in MDPI journals by corresponding authors affiliated with the institution.

Discount Agreement: Researchers affiliated with participating institutions receive an IOAP discount on APCs for eligible articles published in MDPI journals, without an additional program fee being charged to the institution. The remaining APC is payable according to the applicable payment arrangements.

3. Flexible Workflows

IOAP supports both non-centralized and centralized invoicing arrangements. Under a non-centralized workflow, authors receive invoices directly and benefit from the applicable IOAP discount. Under a centralized workflow, the institution can approve manuscript invoices for centralized payment. Standard options include direct invoicing, collective invoicing on a monthly or quarterly basis, and prepayment. These arrangements allow institutions to select payment procedures suited to their administrative and financial requirements ^[1].

4. Participating Institutions

The MDPI IOAP website lists 1,090 participants, including universities, research institutions, and consortia. Examples of participating institutions include Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, and Tsinghua University. The MDPI IOAP website provides the current list of participants, allowing authors to check whether their institutions are included.

5. Role in Open Access Publishing

IOAP provides a framework for institutions to support researchers publishing in open access journals while coordinating publication costs and administrative processes. The program also aims to facilitate compliance with Plan S and national open access mandates by supporting publication in fully open access journals offering Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licensing. However, participation in IOAP alone does not guarantee compliance with every funder or institutional policy; applicable licensing and other requirements must still be met.