PLOS-UNC Water and Health 2026 Special Collection partnership

We are pleased to announce that PLOS and The Water Institute at UNC are again partnering to publish a special collection of articles in PLOS Water, PLOS Global Public Health, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation from the 2026 UNC Water and Health Conference taking place October 26 – 30. The collection will feature original research, review, and commentary-style narrative papers from the work being discussed and presented at the conference, across the breadth of WaSH research, to highlight challenges, share insights, and develop solutions for a more water-secure world.

If you are a verbal or poster presenter or have research related to any of the key themes being discussed at the conference, we invite you to submit your research article to this special collection!

The UNC Water and Health conference collection

We’ve had a fantastic response and a high number of submitted papers to our previous conference collection editions, and published more than 50 papers so far.

We’re excited to showcase this special Collection through the papers which have been published in PLOS Water, PLOS Global Public Health, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation from previous editions of the UNC Water and Health conference. Papers submitted and published as part of this years’ 2026 conference will be added to this special Collection webpage. The Collection webpage will be updated periodically with the newest published contributions to the Collection, with published articles publicised at the UNC Water and Health conference and throughout the year via the UNC Water Institute’s conference newsletters.

We welcome additional, thematically relevant research submissions.

We want to recognize the high-quality science produced in the WaSH sector by inviting you to submit your research to the special collection, even if you are not presenting at this year’s UNC Water and Health conference. If your work fits thematically within the scope of the conference and the journal scope (see the “Journal information & scope” section below to assess fit), you are welcome to submit to the collection!

Proposing and submitting Narrative-focused pieces to the Collection

If you intend to propose a narrative-focused article (either an Essay, Opinion or Narrative Review) to any of the participating PLOS journals, please note that these must first be proposed in draft format, either an extended abstract or working outline, and submitted via email to the Collection coordinators (Gui Wright, Executive Editor at PLOS Water, and Ryan Cronk, Research Director at The Water Institute, UNC Chapel Hill).

For UNC Water and Health Conference Side Event organizers, please see this informational one-pager with further details on proposing an Essay or Opinion based on your event.

Proposing an Essay for PLOS Water or PLOS Global Public Health

Essays are opinionated articles on a topic of interest to scientists and a broader audience, including the public. Unlike traditional review articles, which provide a comprehensive account of a field, Essays take an imaginative approach to a provocative question, offering an engaging yet rigorous investigation of the problem. Note: Before submitting to PLOS Water or PLOS Global Public Health, you must submit an Essay proposal to the special collection organizers as noted above. Please find more information on Essays, as well as examples of previously published Essays in PLOS Water and previously published Essays in PLOS Global Public Health. 

Opinion articles for the conference’s special collection, for any of the PLOS journals, will only be accepted by invitation. For more information, please visit here, and contact the Collection coordinators as noted above if you wish to propose an Opinion article.

Why publish in the special collection?

There are many benefits of publishing as part of the collection! There will be special announcements of new publications sent in Water and Health Conference newsletters (which reach thousands of people), and the special collection will be highlighted at the 2025 conference. Published authors can publish a “Behind the Paper” interview-style feature on the PLOS Latitude Blog. PLOS employs several business models to support equitable open access and our partnerships with institutions and funders, as well as our Research4Life program, aim to simplify the process for authors and reduce the burden of cost (see “Publication fees” section below). Articles published in the collection will be available to all as soon as they pass peer review (i.e., they will not be held in embargo until the special collection is complete). Published contributions will be collated on a special webpage in the PLOS family of journals.

About PLOS Water:

PLOS Water focuses on research relevant to the study of water for people and planet. Our broad scope connects researchers across the hydrology, water resources, and water, sanitation and hygiene communities, amplifying a diverse set of voices to influence the global discourse around fresh water. We are committed to Open Science principles that allow all researchers who play a role in this global issue to freely share their research to inform positive, evidence-based action and address some of the most pressing water issues our planet faces. The journal is indexed in several major databases, including Scopus and Web of Science.

About PLOS Global Public Health:

PLOS Global Public Health addresses deeply entrenched health inequities and makes impactful research visible and accessible to health professionals, policy-makers, and local communities without barriers. We are committed to Open Science principles that ensure research is openly accessible to all who are working to address health inequities, strengthen public health systems, and promote the health and well-being of communities around the world. The journal is indexed in several major databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science.

About PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases:

PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases covers research related to the pathology, epidemiology, prevention, treatment and control of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), as well as relevant public health and policy. We define NTDs as poverty-promoting infectious diseases and so we work alongside researchers spanning every continent who are deeply rooted in under-resourced communities. We amplify their voices through Open Access and Open Science practices to make this knowledge accessible and inspire greater change far beyond immediate borders. The journal is indexed in several major databases, including Scopus and Web of Science.

About PLOS Sustainability & Transformation:

PLOS Sustainability and Transformation provides a supportive and innovative space to a diversity of researchers across disciplines, sectors, and geographies to analyze global and locally-tailored transformative approaches to guide and co-create more just and sustainable futures for all. We work alongside researchers to shape Open Science practices, to build trust, transparency, and access to research that has lasting impacts on the sustainability of intertwined environmental, societal and economic systems. The journal is indexed in several major databases, including Scopus and Web of Science.

About the UNC Water and Health Conference:

The annual UNC Water and Health Conference reflects the Water Institute’s commitment to improving public health by achieving universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) services that are safe, affordable, and sustainable. The conference provides a curated space where policymakers, practitioners, and researchers can gather to review the evidence, interrogate the science, and improve old and develop new approaches to expanding WaSH access and services.

Submission instructions and deadline

Follow the journals’ general submission guidelines (PLOS Water // PLOS Global Public Health // PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases // PLOS Sustainability and Transformation). To submit your research article to the collection please see the step-by-step guides for the respective journals (PLOS Water // PLOS Global Public Health // PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases // PLOS Sustainability and Transformation /) Please quote “UNC Water and Health” in the Collections field when submitting your manuscript and mention the collection in your cover letter. Please submit your article before the 31st May 2027.

For proposals to submit Essays, Opinion, or Narrative Review articles and more general questions on the Collection, please contact Dr. Ryan Cronk at The Water Institute, UNC Chapel Hill ([email protected]).

For any other questions, we encourage you to get in touch with the Executive Editor of PLOS Water: Gui Wright – [email protected]

PLOS Water	PLOS Global Public Health	PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases	PLOS Sustainability and Transformation
Journal information & scope	Journal information & scope	Journal information & scope	Journal information & scope
Submit your work	Submit your work	Submit your work	Submit your work

Publication Fees:

PLOS employs several business models to support equitable Open Access. All PLOS journals provide APC-alternative models for institutions to support their authors’ Open Access publication goals.

Publication in PLOS journals is either free or heavily discounted for authors whose research is funded primarily by an institution in a Research4Life country (Group A or B). PLOS Community Action Publishing (available for PLOS Sustainability and Transformation), PLOS Flat Fee (available for PLOS Neglected Topical Diseases) and PLOS Global Equity (available for PLOS Water and PLOS Global Public Health) are all institutional partnership programs that allow affiliated authors to publish without cost in the respective journal. A list of institutional partners for both participating journals can be found here. Current fees for authors not covered under the above programs are available here. Authors unable to pay part or all of these fees and who can demonstrate financial need can apply to the PLOS Publication Fee Assistance (PFA) program at submission of their manuscript (see our FAQs for more details).