Impact Scholars Publication Policy

Impact Scholars Program Publication Policy


The Impact Scholars Program aims to develop the next generation of computational researchers by providing early-career researchers with the opportunity to work on open-source research datasets as part of collaborative, international teams. Scholars receive dedicated scientific mentorship, wraparound professional development training, and an immersive research experience that helps bridge the gap between coursework and real-world scientific discovery.
The program is designed around three core outputs:
  • A peer-reviewed micropublication
  • A summary accessible to a general audience
  • A seminar presentation outlining the project’s findings
While publication beyond the micropublication is not required, many scholar groups choose to continue their work beyond the program and submit it for peer-reviewed publication. To support these efforts and align with Neuromatch’s values, we have outlined the following publication policy and recommendations.



1. Commitment to Open Science and Suggested Journals
Neuromatch is committed to open and equitable access to scientific knowledge. We strongly encourage all scholar groups pursuing publication to make their work publicly accessible, either by:
  • Submitting to open access journals under a CC-BY licence, or 
  • Uploading to preprint servers, such as:
  •  arXiv 
  •  bioRxiv 
  •  EarthArXiv 
  •  Zenodo Sciencematch 
To support scholars in selecting suitable venues, we recommend the following open access journals relevant to the research fields within the program:
Neuroscience
Climate Science

Publication Fee Waivers and Discounts:
We encourage scholars to explore publication fee waivers and discounts offered by many open access publishers, especially those operated by non-profit organizations. Most progressive and non-profit academic journals provide full or partial waivers for authors based at institutions in low- and middle-income countries. Scholars can browse directories like the  Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)  or explore the  list of non-profit academic publishers  for options.
In addition, scholars should check with their institution’s library, as many universities have agreements that cover or reduce article processing charges (APCs) for select publishers.
For example, Wiley offers full or partial fee waivers for corresponding authors based at institutions in low- and middle-income countries. This applies to publications in Wiley’s fully open access journals. More information is available here:  Wiley Waivers and Discounts .



2. Affiliation Guidelines
All authors are encouraged to include a Neuromatch affiliation in their publication to acknowledge the infrastructure, mentorship, and community support that made their work possible.
Example:
Greco, V., Neuromatch Academy, Neuromatch, Inc.
Greco, V., Climatematch Academy, Neuromatch, Inc.



3. Recommended Acknowledgment Statement
Publications should include an acknowledgment section that recognizes the support of Neuromatch or Climatematch Academy, as well as contributions from individuals who do not qualify for authorship (e.g., scholars who contributed during the early stages but did not complete the project).
Example:
This work was supported by Neuromatch Academy [or Climatematch Academy] through the Impact Scholars Program. We thank all members of our project group for their contributions, especially those involved in the early stages of the project. In particular, we acknowledge [Name(s)] for their valuable input during the initial planning and exploration phases.




4. Authorship and Contributions
Groups should follow fair and transparent authorship practices such as the  CRediT taxonomy , which defines roles like conceptualization, methodology, software, and writing. Authorship decisions should be made collaboratively and revisited regularly.
Mentor contributions should be acknowledged appropriately based on their level of involvement.




5. Communication and Visibility
Scholar groups planning to submit a manuscript are encouraged to inform the Impact Scholars coordination team. This allows us to:
  • Track scholar progress and program outcomes
  • Promote your work through Neuromatch’s platforms
  • Offer support on open licensing and authorship
  • Celebrate your success within the Neuromatch community and beyond
We kindly request that all submitted and accepted manuscripts originating from Impact Scholars projects be shared with us at the time of submission or acceptance. When notifying us, please include the following details:
  • Title
  • Author list
  • Abstract
  • Submission or acceptance status
  • Journal name or link if published




Additional Considerations
  • Mentorship Beyond the Program
Mentors are compensated for their guidance during the official Impact Scholars Program period. If a mentor chooses to continue supporting a group beyond the program, this continued involvement is entirely voluntary and unpaid.

  • Colab Pro Subscriptions
Scholars who received a Colab Pro subscription through the program should note that their access will expire before the start of the next Academy. Unfortunately, we are unable to extend existing subscriptions or provide new Colab Pro subscriptions beyond the program period.




Contact
For questions about the publication policy or to notify us of a submitted or accepted manuscript, please contact: