Interview: Levelling the publishing field
Julia Mortimer describes the inspiration behind Bristol University Press’ Global Social Challenges Development Fund
As University Press Week approaches, Bristol University Press is highlighting one of its most ambitious initiatives: the Global Social Challenges Development Fund.
This initiative is designed to support a fairer, more inclusive publishing ecosystem and amplify underrepresented voices in global research. It complements the work of the publisher’s Diamond Open Access Global Social Challenges Journal and its commitment to tackling global social challenges and meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We spoke with Julia Mortimer, Journals and Open Access Director at Bristol University Press, about why this fund matters, how it works and what difference it aims to make.
Julia, what inspired the creation of the Global Social Challenges Development Fund?
At Bristol University Press, our mission has always been to publish scholarly work that addresses urgent global issues and drives positive social change. But we know that academic publishing is far from equitable. Scholars from the Global South and Early Career Researchers often face enormous financial, linguistic and geographical barriers that prevent them from participating fully in international conversations.
We wanted to take concrete action to address these inequalities. The Global Social Challenges Development Fund is our way of levelling the publishing field – by directly supporting those who have the ideas, expertise and local knowledge to tackle the biggest global challenges, but who are often excluded from traditional publishing pathways.
What are some of the main challenges faced by researchers in less privileged regions?
Many researchers struggle with the costs of open access publishing or don’t have access to professional language editing support if English isn’t their first language. Others lack mentorship or opportunities to learn about publishing best practice, which can make the whole process intimidating and inaccessible.
These barriers don’t just disadvantage individual scholars – they also mean that critical, context-specific knowledge never reaches the wider world. When voices from certain regions are excluded, our collective understanding of issues like climate change, migration or gender injustice remains incomplete.
How will the fund help overcome those barriers?
The Fund is designed to provide very practical support. It will finance things like language editing, mentoring, publishing skills workshops, open access publication and multilingual research outputs. One example is the Global Social Challenges Journal’s Early Career Researchers from the Global South and Diasporas mentorship programme, which supports authors from this community to gain publication skills and address specific global social challenges from their distinct vantage points.
We’re also committed to supporting Diamond Open Access publishing – where neither authors nor readers pay fees — to ensure equitable access to high-quality, peer-reviewed research – in the Global Social Challenges Journal via inclusion in the Lyrasis OACIP program.
All of this aligns closely with our commitment to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) both as a press and through our publishing, particularly those focused on reducing inequality, promoting quality education and fostering global partnerships.
What kinds of research will the fund prioritise?
We’ll focus on work that addresses the 16 Global Social Challenges identified by Bristol University Press – our response to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as a social sciences publisher. This includes issues such as climate change, racial and gender justice, poverty, health inequalities and migration. These are complex, interconnected problems that require truly global, inclusive perspectives.
Decisions on which publications and initiatives receive support will be made by the Press based on scholarly merit and the degree to which the work aligns with the Fund’s mission to advance equitable, evidence-informed research. We are committed to transparency and will publish details of the funds raised and how they are allocated on our website.
Why is open access such a crucial part of this initiative?
Because knowledge shouldn’t be a privilege. Open access ensures that anyone – policymakers, activists, educators or members of the public – can engage with the latest research without hitting a paywall.
At a time of rising misinformation, book bans and censorship in many parts of the world, it’s more important than ever to ensure that robust, peer-reviewed research is freely available. We believe open access publishing is key to building a roadmap out of today’s global crises.
Supporting equitable publishing must come with significant costs. How can others get involved?
That’s absolutely right – publishing open access and providing equitable support carries real costs, particularly for a non-profit publisher like us. That’s why we’re inviting donations to the Fund. Every donation helps us take another step towards a fairer, more globally representative publishing landscape. Donors can also choose to be recognised on our website and we’ll report regularly on the initiatives supported by the Fund.
We are currently working on ways for libraries to participate when purchasing our journal or ebook collections and more information on this will be available soon.
Finally, what does this initiative mean for Bristol University Press and the broader university press community?
It’s a reminder of why university presses exist. For nearly 30 years, Bristol University Press and our imprint Policy Press have published research that addresses inequality, injustice and social transformation.
The Global Social Challenges Development Fund allows us to go a step further – to not only publish research about global change but to enable it. It represents the power of collaboration at every level – from editors and authors to donors and readers – working together to make research accessible, equitable and truly global.
That’s what University Press Week celebrates, and that’s what we mean when we say we can achieve more when we TeamUP.