White House Announces New Requirements for Public Access to Federally Funded Research
On August 25, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced new requirements on federal agencies to make peer-reviewed publications resulting from federal funding freely available to the public immediately following publication. Citing longstanding concerns around inequitable access to “the full benefits of scientific research” as well as recent success in the sharing of COVID-19 research and data, the memorandum directs federal agencies to eliminate the optional 12-month publication embargo period for federally funded peer reviewed research articles and to make data associated with peer reviewed research articles immediately available upon publication.
Specifically, federal agencies are expected to:
- Update public access policies as soon as possible and no later than December 31, 2025 to allow for free public release of publications and supporting data resulting from federally funded research.
- Establish transparent procedures to ensure scientific and research integrity is maintained in publica access policies.
- Coordinate with OSTP to ensure equitable delivery of federally funded research results and data.
The OSTP guidance provides a framework for managing this transition; however, many of the specifics will be left to the affected federal agencies to develop in coordination with the reconstituted National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Open Science (SOS).
COSSA will continue to following this issue as it develops.