TOME@UMD
Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem
Based on the TOME national pilot initiative, TOME@UMD advances open-access (OA) publishing of monographs in the humanities and social sciences. Led by the University Libraries in partnership with the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, the College of Arts and Humanities, and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, the goal of TOME@UMD is to make this important scholarship available to readers across the globe, without cost and access barriers.
Four Grants Available
Following on from our pilot funding round, held between 2021-2023, TOME@UMD will sponsor the publication of four OA monographs by UMD faculty members. The project will issue four grant awards of up to $15,000 each to produce open access, digital monographs of 90,000 words or less in any discipline, but with preference for those in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Funding will be provided to a participating publisher.
In addition, TOME@UMD will fund the OA publication of two previously published monographs up to $5,500 each.
Author eligibility
All UMD faculty members are eligible to apply, including tenure-stream, permanent-status-stream, and PTK faculty. Preference will be given to faculty members publishing their first monographs and/or publishing a monograph that advances the faculty member's professional or research goals.
Manuscript eligibility
Eligible manuscripts will be long-form, peer-reviewed works of up to 90,000 words in length in any discipline, but preferably the arts, humanities, or social sciences, accepted for publication by a participating press. This project does not fund critical editions, edited anthologies, creative works, textbooks, or translations. The OA digital edition must be freely available online upon publication without embargo, under a CC BY Creative Commons license. Publishers must agree to produce an OA edition in a digital format that is accessible and platform agnostic and allow authors to retain copyright of their monographs.
Application Process
We invite those interested in apply to fill in our Expression of Interest form at their earliest convenience. We ask that this form be completed by February 26, 2024 so that we will have an opportunity to respond to questions and address concerns. After confirming that your publisher is a participating member of the initiative, you will receive a link to the TOME@UMD application.
Final applications for TOME@UMD are due by March 22, 2024. Please have the following documents available before you begin:
- Copy of the university press contract
- Proposal Narrative addressing the six criteria (1000 words or less)
- Author's abridged CV or biosketch (3-4 pages)
- Publisher's Letter of Support
- Reviewer's Reports (optional)
Applications will be reviewed during the month of April. All applicants can expect to receive confirmation of our decisions in May 2024.
Review process
The TOME@UMD Selection Advisory Committee reviews applications and recommends manuscripts for funding to the TOME@UMD Steering Committee. Submissions are evaluated using the following criteria:
- Potential impact of this work on the field
- Potential impact of this work on communities outside the academy
- Description of the benefits of open access distribution for the work
- Value for the applicant’s own research potential and progress
- Potential to enhance the scholarly distinction of the University of Maryland
- Potential to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion in the production and dissemination of knowledge
Questions about TOME@UMD? Contact Open Scholarship Services at lib-open-scholarship@umd.edu.
List of TOME@UMD Monographs
2022 Awardees
Resmini, Mauro. Italian Political Cinema: Figures of the Long '68. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2023.
Sangaramoorthy, Thurka. Landscapes of Care: Immigration and Health in Rural America. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2023.
Zeller, Thomas. Consuming Landscapes: What We See When We Drive and Why It Matters. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022.