Open Access Publishing

Policy Updates from NIH

NIH has updated its Public Access Policy to go into effect July 1, 2025.

• The 2024 Public Access Policy requires Author Accepted Manuscripts (AAM) accepted for publication in a journal on or after July 1, 2025, be submitted to PubMed Central upon acceptance for publication, for public availability without embargo upon the official date of publication.

  • Immediate public access will be required for author accepted manuscripts. The embargo period has been eliminated. 

  • Final peer-reviewed manuscripts are required to be submitted to PubMed Central.

• NIH Public Access site - NIH's overview of its public access policy with helpful information and instructions for sharing research.

  • NIH Public Access Policy (2024) - Effective July 1, 2025. Includes information related to this policy development.

• NIH FAQs - Use this resource for navigating the policy transition, compliance, and admissible fees.

• Instructions for Submitting Publications to PubMed Central - Learn more about the submission paths for PMC.

• Authors Alliance NIH Public Access Policy: Q & A for Authors - Learn more about navigating publisher policies and fees.

• University Libraries' Open Access Publishing Guide

For awards that have closed before July 1, 2025, or manuscripts that were accepted for publication before July 1, 2025, the 2008 NIH Public Access Policy applies. The 2008 Public Access Policy allows a 12-month embargo period for public access after the official date of publication.

Who can you contact for help with the 2024 policy?

• Data and Digital Scholarship Services

• Joanna Lee, Digital Publishing Lead

• Emilie Algenio, Open Educational Resources and Scholarly Communications Librarian

The following web sites explain the implications of the NIH's Policy in detail:

• Penn State's Office for Research Protections: NIH Public Access and Data Management Policies - Including:
  • 2024 Public Access Policy: Questions and Answers, NIH Resources, and FAQ
  • 2023 Data Management and Sharing Policy/Data Management and Sharing Plan Requirements: Questions and Answers, NIH Resources and FAQ

• University of California Office of Scholarly Communication: Guidance on the Revised NIH Public Access Policy, Effective July 2025 - Including:
  • Requirements for NIH-funded Authors
  • Publication Costs and Policy Compliance
  • How the Policy Applies in Different Publishing Scenarios
     

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

• Authors Alliance's The NIH Public Access Policy: Q&A for Authors - Learn more about navigating publisher policies and fees.

COPYRIGHT AND OPEN ACCESS

• Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition's webcast, “Who Owns Scholarly Work? Copyright and Open Access” - To understand how layers of rights, copyright transfers, and licenses affect the ability of authors and their institutions to make their works Open Access.

• NIH's Copyright considerations

  Learn about copyright considerations when preparing your manuscript for submission.

  Before you sign a publication agreement or similar copyright transfer agreement, make sure that the agreement allows the paper to be posted to PubMed Central (PMC) in accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy.

  Final, peer-reviewed manuscripts must be submitted to the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS) upon acceptance for publication, and be made publicly available on PMC no later than 12 months after the official date of publication.

  Points to consider while planning your NIH-supported paper:

  • Which submission method will be used?
  • What version of the paper will be made available on PMC?
  • Who will submit the paper?
  • When will it be submitted?
  • Who will approve the submission?
  • When will the paper be made public on PMC?

RESOURCES, WHEN READING YOUR CONTRACT

• From the University Libraries/UNC Chapel Hill: Author's Rights and Publishing Contracts: Find It In Your Contract
• From the Sheridan Libraries/Johns Hopkins: Publisher Contracts
• From the University of Michigan's Deep Blue Repositories: Model Publishing Contract for Digital Scholarship
  • Includes a Glossary
• From the Authors Alliance: Publication Contracts
• From Cornell University Law School's Free Online Legal Dictionary: Wex