MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute) is a publisher of around 400 peer-reviewed, scientific open access journals listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). You can find a current list of these journals here.

Freie Universität Berlin has been participating in a new agreement with MDPI since April 2025. This agreement introduces changes that, among others, address the debate about MDPI's quality and questionable business practices. The most important change in that respect is that no longer all MDPI journals will be supported by the University Library's Open Access Publication Fund, but only those listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The DOAJ inclusion criteria serve as a reference point for the assessment of eligibility for funding by the University Library. More on the current discussion about MDPI:
Pohlmann, T. (2025). MDPI, Frontiers et al.: Eine kritische Betrachtung von Qualitätsaspekten. (in German) https://doi.org/10.5282/o-bib/6134

For FU-affiliated authors, a discount of 15 % is generally granted, in the case of central funding even 30 % on the Article Processing Charges (APC) incurred. Funding condition: The APC must not exceed EUR 2.000.

Do you want to publish in MDPI?

• You are “corresponding author” or “submitting author” and submit your article directly to the journal as usual.
• Please indicate your affiliation with Freie Universität Berlin in the submission process and also as an affiliation in the manuscript. In addition, you should always provide your Freie Universität Berlin e-mail address throughout the publication process.
• If the journal in which you wish to publish is currently listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), you can submit an application to cover your publication costs using this web-form.
• Please note that the total amount for a central funding of the APC per article may not exceed EUR 2.000 (plus VAT).
• Helpful information on the individual current APCs can be found on the MDPI website under Article Processing Charges Information.

For FU affiliated authors who publish in an MDPI journal that is not listed in the DOAJ, a discount of 15% is generally granted. However, the University Library will not cover the costs centrally (not even on a pro rata basis).