The "Molecular Biosystems" Open Access Waiver Program
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Part of our mission at the Molecular Biosystems Conference is to make the experience useful and rewarding for attendees, both during the meeting and beyond.
In that spirit, we are pleased to announce a new initiative in partnership with Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio) and PeerJ, two multidisciplinary journals in the life sciences, to help support open-access publication of important research. At the Molecular Biosystems Conference, we recognize that many types of valuable scientific work—such as replication studies, carefully designed confirmatory findings, or work that is technically sound yet may be considered too specialized, local, or to lack enough perceived impact—are often difficult to publish, despite their essential role in strengthening the scientific record. In addition, the cost of open-access publishing remains a significant hurdle for many researchers in Latin America. As part of our commitment to help address these challenges and support the publication of rigorous work that might otherwise go unpublished, the Molecular Biosystems Conference is offering two attendees based in Latin America the opportunity to publish their work open access—with all article-processing fees waived—with Scientific Reports and PeerJ. One waiver will be awarded for each journal (and only one per person/lab). What is offered
Eligibility
How to apply Please submit the following through our application form:
To apply, complete the form here. You do NOT need to have a full manuscript to apply; an abstract/summary is enough. Please note that all information submitted through this application process will be treated as strictly confidential and viewed only by the conference organizing committee for the purpose of selecting awardees. Abstracts/summaries provided for the application will not be shared or published. Deadline for applications ̶F̶r̶i̶d̶a̶y̶,̶ ̶N̶o̶v̶ ̶7̶,̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶5̶.̶ Deadline extended: Friday, Nov 21, 2025. Selection process
Please note that being awarded a waiver does not guarantee acceptance of the article by the participating journals. Editorial decisions are made independently by each journal, and the APC waiver will apply only if the article is accepted through each journal’s standard peer review process. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 1. Does the abstract I submit need to be the same one I submitted to the conference? No. You may submit any piece of research you are planning to publish. It does not need to be related to your conference presentation. 2. What happens if my first submission to the journal after winning the waiver is rejected? You may use it for another submission. 3. Can I use the waiver for any type of article? Yes. As long as the article is eligible for submission to Scientific Reports or PeerJ, the waiver can be applied once the article is accepted. 4. Do I need to submit my full manuscript by the application deadline? No. For the award application, you only need to provide an abstract/summary and short justification. The manuscript itself should only be submitted to the journal after being awarded the waiver. 5. How will winners be announced? Winners will be notified directly by email and may be announced via the conference communication channels (email/social media). 6. Can I transfer my waiver to someone else? No. Waivers are non-transferable and must be used by the awarded individual. 7. Is it safe to submit unpublished work in my application? Yes. All submitted information will be handled in strict confidence and reviewed only by the conference organizing committee. Abstracts/summaries provided for the application will not be shared or published. The journals will not see the abstracts submitted to us, and the abstracts will only be used by the committee for the purposes of defining the awardees. |