Announcements

Zero Discrimination Day serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and justice around the world. On this day, we honour every individual’s right to live with dignity, fulfilment, and purpose.

The effects of discrimination are widespread and far-reaching, impacting areas such as education, employment, healthcare, and the justice system. These barriers not only isolate and marginalize individuals but also prevent them from realizing their fullest potential.

To address these systemic issues, we must engage in critical conversations and foster collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and educators. Discriminatory laws must be replaced with policies that promote fairness, safety, and inclusion for all. We must unite to challenge harmful stereotypes and dismantle the systems that perpetuate inequality.

In celebration of this day, we invite you to explore a selection of insightful articles, journals, and Special Issues in the fields of social sciences and humanities. These resources aim to deepen our understanding of the harmful effects of discrimination and outline the necessary steps to create lasting, positive change. Together, we can shape a more compassionate, just, and inclusive society.

“Mapping Evidence on Strategies Used That Encourage Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Uptake and Adherence Amongst Female Sex Workers in South Africa”
by Nosipho Faith Makhakhe and Gift Khumalo
Sexes 2025, 6(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes6010002

“The Birth of the “Indian” Clinic: Daktari Medicine in A Ballad of Remittent Fever”
by Thiyagaraj Gurunathan and Binod Mishra
Humanities 2024, 13(6), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/h13060169

“Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Services for Young Women with and Without Disabilities During a Pandemic”
by Jill Hanass-Hancock, Ayanda Nzuza, Thesandree Padayachee, Kristin Dunkle, Samantha Willan, Mercilene Tanyaradzwa Machisa and Bradley Carpenter
Disabilities 2024, 4(4), 972–995; https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities4040060

“Underexplored Key Population: The Impact of Substance Abuse on the Health and Well-Being of Male Sex Workers—A Systematic Review”
by Leshata Winter Mokhwelepa and Gsakani Olivia Sumbane
Sexes 2024, 5(3), 398–410; https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes5030029

“Differences in Health Status between People with and without Disabilities in Ecuadorian Prisons”
by Rodrigo Vargas-Fernández and Akram Hernández-Vásquez
Disabilities 2024, 4(3), 646–657; https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities4030040

“Intersection of Gender and Disability on Returns to Education: A Case from Metro Manila, Philippines”
by Kamal Lamichhane and Takayuki Watanabe
Merits 2023, 3(4), 682–699; https://doi.org/10.3390/merits3040041

“Coverage of Allies, Allyship and Disabled People: A Scoping Review”
by Gregor Wolbring and Aspen Lillywhite
Societies 2023, 13(11), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13110241

“An Inclusive Workplace Approach to Disability through Assistive Technologies: A Systematic Review and Thematic Analysis of the Literature”
by Tiziana Marinaci, Claudio Russo, Giulia Savarese, Giovanna Stornaiuolo, Filomena Faiella, Luna Carpinelli, Marco Navarra, Giuseppina Marsico and Monica Mollo
Societies 2023, 13(11), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13110231

“Ageing Organizations: Reviewing the Literature and Making a Few Recommendations for Human Resource Management”
by Alfredo Salomão Filho, Tanja Tillmanns and Trudy Corrigan
Merits 2023, 3(4), 640–653; https://doi.org/10.3390/merits3040038

“Participation, Legal Capacity, and Gender: Reflections from the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Project in Serbia”
by Holly Wescott, Delia Ferri and Malcolm MacLachlan
Disabilities 2023, 3(1), 129–146; https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities3010010

“The Care Economy and Disability Inclusion” Guest Editors: Dr. Daniel Mont and Dr. Monica Pinilla-Roncancio Submission deadline: 30 June 2025	“Bridging Gaps in Critical Queer Genealogies: Transformative Emergent Scholarship in Queer Studies” Guest Editors: Dr. Justin Sprague and Dr. Liam Oliver Lair Submission deadline:  15 July 2025
“Challenges for Social Inclusion of Older Adults in Liquid Modernity” Guest Editors:  Dr. Teresa Amezcua-Aguilar, Dr. Antonia Rodríguez Martínez and Dr. Javier Cortés Moreno Submission deadline:  1 July 2025	“Nurturing Connected Consciousness in the Anthropocene: Addressing Calls for Cultural and Spiritual Transformation as a Path to Personal, Collective, and Planetary Health” Guest Editors:  Dr. Heidi Honegger Rogers, Dr. Mona S. El-Sherbini and Dr. Sara L. Warber Submission deadline:  31 December 2025

MDPI is pleased to share a significant milestone in its mission to advance scholarly research and promote the dissemination of knowledge—300+ MDPI journals are now indexed in Web of Science (WoS). This milestone highlights the global recognition, interdisciplinary impact and enhanced visibility of our journals. It also reflects our adherence to rigorous editorial standards, scientific integrity, and our mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines. 

To explore the full list of our journals indexed in WoS, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/wos. Beyond expanding the coverage of our publications in the leading academic databases, we are dedicated to ensuring that our journals are included in as many scope-specific databases as possible. This increases the visibility of our authors’ work and extends the reach of their significant data. 

This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of our academic editors, reviewers and authors. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing platform. We also extend our gratitude to the global research community for their trust as we continue to break new ground in academic publishing. This milestone is not just a celebration of MDPI’s progress but also recognition of the collective strides made by researchers worldwide. 

As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, MDPI remains steadfast in its commitment to open access publishing and ensuring that high-quality research reaches and inspires a global audience.

MDPI, a pioneer in scholarly open access publishing, and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Singapore, proudly announce the successful conclusion of the first edition the MDPI Early Career Researcher Awards. The awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to medical and biomedical research, were presented to six exceptional researchers during an awards ceremony held at LKCMedicine HQ Building on 28 November 2024.

Honoring Excellence in Research

The awards recognize exceptional postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding originality, innovation, and impact in their respective fields. We are honored to announce the winners of the 2024 edition:

Early Career Researcher (Postdoc) Award:

• Dr. Theresia Handayani Mina, “Adiposity and Metabolic Health in Asian Populations: An Epidemiological Study Using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Singapore”;
• Dr. Erfan Rezvani Ghomi, “Wound Healing Improvement by Novel Aligned Antimicrobial Nanofibrous 3D Scaffolds”;
• Dr. Yadollah Ranjbar Slamloo, “Functional Alterations of The Prefrontal Circuit Underlying Cognitive Aging in Mice”.

Early Career Researcher (Ph.D.) Award:

• Pritisha Rozario, “Mechanistic Basis for Potassium Efflux-Driven Activation of the Human NLRP1 Inflammasome”;

• Michelle Law Cheok Yien, “Chikungunya Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 is a Versatile RNA Capping and Decapping Enzyme”;
• Yin Ruoyu, “The Use of Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Tools in Older Adults: A Mixed Method Study”.

Our collaboration highlights a shared commitment to recognizing exceptional talent and research within the academic community, addressing today’s healthcare challenges, and inspiring continued innovation.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Building on the success of the first edition, MDPI and LKCMedicine are excited to announce that the 2025 MDPI Early Researcher Awards will continue to celebrate excellence and innovation in medical research. The next edition promises to expand its scope, introducing new categories and providing even greater recognition for impactful research.

Further details on the 2025 awards, including nomination criteria and timelines, will be shared in the coming months. We remain committed to fostering a culture of research excellence and collaboration within the global scientific community.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a severe violation of human rights that harms the health and well-being of millions of girls and women worldwide. The practice, prevalent in 30 countries across Africa and the Middle East, and among immigrant communities globally, causes immediate and long-term physical and psychological consequences. Despite progress in reducing its prevalence, over 200 million women live with its effects, and 4.4 million girls remain at risk annually. Eliminating FGM by 2030 requires empowering survivor-led movements, addressing harmful gender norms, promoting education and gender equality, and fostering community-wide efforts. Global action and survivor advocacy are essential to ending FGM for future generations.

In recognition of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, we invite you to explore selected articles, Special Issues, and journals, such as Social Sciences (ISSN: 2076-0760) and Humanities (ISSN: 2076-0787), that address FGM and its impact on health, human rights, and gender equality. By sharing this knowledge, we aim to inspire meaningful action and foster collaboration to eliminate FGM, ensuring a safer and more equitable future for all girls and women.

“Foreign Aid and Institutional Quality towards Reducing Gender-Based Violence”
by Abiola John Asaleye and Kariena Strydom
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(11), 612; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12110612

“You Never Thought about Me, Did You?’ Cloning and the Right to Reproductive Choice in Eva Hoffman’s The Secret (2001)”
by Laura-Jane Devanny
Humanities 2024, 13(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/h13010021

“From Intersex Activism to Law-Making—The Legal Ban of Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM) in Greece”
by Nikoletta Pikramenou
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040221

“The Universal Periodic Review and the Ban on Intersex Genital Mutilation in an African Context”
by Saskia Caroline Irene Ravesloot
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(7), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13070349

“Revising Gerty MacDowell’s Identity and Agency: An Intersectional Feminist Disability Perspective”
by Maria Gallego-Ortiz
Humanities 2024, 13(6), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/h13060147

“Bloody Transformations: Reinventing the Werewolf Through Explorations of Gender and Power in the Ginger Snaps Trilogy”
by Megan Kenny
Humanities 2024, 13(6), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/h13060165

“Thrown to the (Were)Wolves: Sisterhood, Vengeance, and Liberal Feminism in Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle’s Squad”
by Jessica Caravaggio
Humanities 2025, 14(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14010003

“Women Writing Science Fiction: Worlds of Possibility”
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Ericka A Hoagland
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 24 December 2025

The editorial team at Humanities extends our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated reviewers whose expertise and commitment have been key to the journal's success in 2024. Last year, Humanities received 721 review reports from 467 reviewers representing 40 countries and regions worldwide.

To recognize the invaluable time, effort, and attention to detail that each reviewer dedicates, Humanities expresses its sincere gratitude through an annual acknowledgment of reviewers. As a further token of appreciation, all reviewers are eligible for the Outstanding Reviewer Award, which honors their essential role in enhancing the quality of our publications.

We are honored to recognize the reviewers who allowed us to publish their names each year. The names of these reviewers are listed below in alphabetical order by first name:

Nine new journals covering multiple subjects launched their inaugural issues in December 2024. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all of the Editorial Board Members, and each journal will ensure its high-quality output by using excellent editorial and rigorous peer-review processes, to ensure that the articles achieve high impact and visibility.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Zhaoyang Dong City University of Hong Kong, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	energy storage technologies; energy storage system management; energy storage applications; strategies in renewable energy generation grid integration; distributed storage systems; economics and markets for energy storage View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Yang-Hui He 1. London Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Royal Institution, UK 2. University of Oxford, UK Editorial | View inaugural issue	Euclidean geometry; differential geometry; algebraic geometry; complex geometry; discrete geometry; computational geometry; geometric group theory;  convex geometry View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Michel Planat Université de Franche-Comté, France Editorial | View inaugural issue	differential topology; algebraic topology; manifold topology; homology theory; low-dimensional topology; fuzzy sets View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Rashid Al Abri 1. Sultan Qaboos University, Oman 2. Oman Medical Association, Oman Editorial | View inaugural issue	clinical practices as well as research and innovation in medical education, risk management in healthcare, and patient safety View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili* New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA *Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili passed away before the completion of the inaugural issue. His dedication and vision for JPBI will always be remembered and serve as a guiding inspiration. Editorial | View inaugural issue	early drug discovery and development; product characterization and pre-clinical testing; drug delivery systems and drug design; active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Weiyong Liu Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	theories, methodologies, technologies, and applications in the fields of laboratory medicine and clinical chemistry View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar University of Granada, Spain Editorial | View inaugural issue	scientometrics; informetrics; bibliometrics; altmetrics; webometrics; research evaluation View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Fei Fan Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	regional growth theory and methods; regional system modeling and optimization; regional development policy; regional spatial evolution; environmental policy and instrument choice View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione Université Catholique de Lille, France Editorial | View inaugural issue	wild species and their habitats; wild environments and biodiversity; natural environment management; wild land preservation View journal scope | Submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.

Conference: CAA 113th Annual Conference
Organization: College Art Association of America
Date: 12–15 February 2025
Place: New York City, USA
Booth: #232

A number of MDPI journals will be attending CAA 2025 as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in New York City, USA, from 12 to 15 February 2025.

The CAA Annual Conference is the largest convening of art historians, artists, designers, curators, and visual art professionals. Each year, the conference offers sessions submitted by CAA’s members, committees, and affiliated societies offering a wide range of content. This year's program boasts over 300 sessions, workshops, and events, with content representing the breadth of the association’s constituent fields of scholarship, approaches to pedagogy, and social justice issues. As an organization, CAA emphasizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Highlighting these sessions and incorporating this work is of paramount importance to this mission.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Arts;
• Religions;
• Architecture;
• Genealogy;
• Heritage;
• Education Sciences;
• Urban Science;
• Humanities;
• Literature.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.collegeart.org/programs/conference/conference2025.

More than 100 German universities and research institutions have entered into a national agreement with MDPI. The publication agreement negotiated by ZB MED comes into effect on 1 January 2025 and is valid until the end of 2026. Joining the consortium is still possible until the beginning of 2025. We are delighted by the high level of interest this agreement has already garnered, reflecting the strong demand for accessible and cost-effective open access publishing solutions among German research institutions.

This new cooperation aims to make scientific gold open access publishing more affordable and less administratively burdensome for researchers in Germany. The agreement includes substantial discounts on article processing charges (APCs) for corresponding authors from participating institutions. It offers flexible payment options, including centralized invoicing or individual payment of fees by researchers or their institutions. Additionally, the agreement features a flat-fee model that enables institutions to precisely plan expenses and optimize their library budgets.

"MDPI can look back on over a decade of successful partnerships with German research institutions," says Peter Roth, MDPI Head of Publishing. "The new agreement marks another milestone in the long-standing co-operation between MDPI and the German scientific community. It emphasizes our commitment to developing up-to-date and inventive solutions for the diverse needs of scientific institutions to promote open research for the benefit of researchers."

Petra Labriga, Head of Strategic License Management at ZB MED, highlighted the agreement's significance: "As one of the world's leading Gold OA publishers, MDPI plays a central role in the German publishing landscape. We are particularly pleased that we were able to achieve considerable potential cost savings for scientific institutions and their authors at a national level through our negotiations."

The partnership reflects a common goal of advancing the idea of open access and supporting researchers in making their scientific excellence internationally visible.

"We would like to thank the ZB MED consortium team for their excellent collaboration," added Adrian Stefan Zamfir, MDPI Institutional Partnership Manager for the DACH region. "We are delighted that this agreement will give even more researchers in Germany access to our tried-and-tested and reliable publication platform."

Franziska Fischer (right), Commercial Director at ZB MED, an Peter Roth (left), Head of Publishing at MDPI, celebrate the signing of the new national open access agreement between MDPI and the ZB MED Consortium.

More Information

• Conditions and participation opportunities (German): Link
• Frequently asked questions (German): Link

Contact

• ZB MED: Team Konsortiallizenzen ([email protected]) - Website
  MDPI: Adrian Stefan Zamfir, Institutional Partnership Manager ([email protected])
  
  

About ZB MED

ZB MED - Information Centre for Life Sciences is an infrastructure and research centre for life science information and data. Its aim is to support and strengthen research for people and the environment: from medicine to biodiversity and environmental protection.

The work of ZB MED is orientated towards the strategic guidelines:

• Research + Networking: We conduct research together with the regionally, nationally, European and globally networked research community.
• Data science: We enable data analyses and generate new knowledge through research.
• Access to information: We provide sustainable access to information, literature and data as a central information infrastructure.
• Open + FAIR: We promote open and reproducible science in line with open science and FAIR principles.
• Knowledge and skills transfer: We actively impart knowledge, competences and skills.

More information at www.zbmed.de.

About MDPI

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI is one of the world's leading open access publishers with a current portfolio of more than 440 journals in all scientific disciplines. MDPI‘s goal is to advance open science worldwide through greater transparency, efficiency and collaboration. To date, more than 3.7 million researchers have published their results in MDPI journals. The editorial process is overseen by a large network of dedicated reviewers and editors and supported by more than 6500 MDPI employees. MDPI currently works with over 800 academic institutions and 180 scientific societies worldwide, which benefit from a wide range of MDPI services and products.

We are pleased to announce a series of updates to our template, aimed at improving the readability and overall aesthetics of our publications. These changes have been meticulously designed to enhance the user experience and ensure consistency across all our publications. The updated template will be available for download from the Instructions for Authors page.

The following updates will be applied to articles published in the 2025 volumes, starting on 24 December 2024:

• Main text: The line spacing has been increased to improve the readability of publications;
• Header and footer: The link to the journal website will be removed, as a hyperlink has been integrated into the journal logo. Additionally, the DOI link will be moved from the left-hand side to the right-hand side, and both the header and footer will be slightly raised to achieve a better balance;
• Left information bar: The information provided here has been rearranged for better organization; the CC-BY logo will be removed;
• Font size: The font size used for the abstract, keywords, and first-level headings will be increased.

Furthermore, MDPI journals will continue to use article numbers. This approach enables us to maintain a rapid and efficient production process by being able to define pagination as soon as a paper is accepted.

We hope that the new version of the template will provide users with a better experience and make the process more convenient.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions or suggestions.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 685 Editorial Board Members of our journals – from 39 different countries and territories – who have been recognized as Highly Cited Researchers for 2024 by Clarivate. This distinction highlights their exceptional scientific achievements and significant contributions, which transcend academic boundaries to advance global knowledge, sustainability, security, and well-being.

Clarivate's annual Highly Cited Researcher™ list identifies the most influential scientists of the past decade, whose work has had a profound and widespread impact across various scientific and social science disciplines. Their impactful papers rank among the top 1% by citations in one or more of the 21 fields analyzed within the "Essential Science Indicators," marking them as leaders in their respective domains.

"Highly Cited Researchers have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their field(s) of research," according to Clarivate. In 2024, a total of 6,886 Highly Cited Researcher designations were awarded to 6,636 individuals.

The following is a list of MDPI's Editorial Board Members named Highly Cited Researchers in 2024. We congratulate them for their achievement and their contributions to advancing knowledge in their respective fields.