Why Engage with ALMASI?
The ALMASI project is dedicated to promoting and supporting Diamond Open Access (Diamond OA), i.e. non-profit Open Access publishing across Africa, Europe, and Latin America. While the benefits of Diamond OA – equitable access, community governance, and the absence of author-facing fees – are widely recognised, researchers and institutions often lack awareness and practical engagement with this publishing model.
We’re looking for passionate researchers, librarians, and community leaders to become ALMASI Ambassadors and help us shape and communicate the value of Diamond OA. As such, we welcome applications to become an ALMASI Ambassador for the period of 2026-2027.
Ambassadors will come from diverse academic fields, institutions, and countries, reflecting the diversity of research cultures across multiple regions. This diversity is vital: publishing practices differ greatly between disciplines, and ambassadors with insight into these practices can tailor communication and outreach effectively. By mobilising a network of ambassadors, ALMASI aims to broaden its reach, foster community engagement, and connect local contexts with global developments.
What do we expect from ALMASI Ambassadors?
The ambassadors’ primary role is to carry out activities that promote Diamond OA and amplify the achievements of the ALMASI project within your networks. The key commitments are:
- Share ALMASI achievements and updates through multiple channels (institutional communication, social media, scholarly associations, etc.). Ambassadors are encouraged to amplify the uptake of project deliverables and outputs and promote participation in ALMASI-organised webinars or trainings.
- Participate in 2 online Ambassador Meetings per year (one every six months). In case of major updates, extra meetings may be organised, but ambassadors will not be expected to attend more than four per year.
- Join ALMASI General Assemblies (held online, by invitation) to connect with the broader project community and governance structure
- Organise at least one local event. The scale of this event may vary: it could be institutional, national, or regional.
They will be encouraged to exchange ideas, experiences, and practices within the network, supporting the growth of Diamond OA both within their disciplines and across borders.
Commitment and Recognition
Ambassadors are asked to commit for the 2026–2027 period. In return, ALMASI will provide:
- Visibility on the ALMASI website and communication channels.
- Access to an international network of peers engaged in scholarly communication reform, with a view to create mentoring opportunities.
- Opportunities to co-author and co-translate blog posts, reflection pieces, policy briefs or training materials in collaboration with the ALMASI team.
- Certificates of recognition and acknowledgement in project reports and dissemination outputs.
If you are interested, please consider applying through this FORM.
This programme will offer multiple entry points for participation throughout the project. The first application round will be open until 15 January 2026, with activities beginning in early March 2026. Additional application calls will follow in later phases to welcome further participants.
Call for applications