NIH Public Access Policy

The new 2024 Policy states:

What does this mean for you as a researcher?

If you are supported by NIH funding for your project, then you are required to make your final, peer-reviewed manuscript publicly available through PubMed Central at the same time that it is published.

The Official Date of Publication is defined as "the date on which the Final Published Article is first made available in final, edited form, whether in print or electronic (i.e., online) format."  This means that, even if the print version of your article will not appear in a volume/issue for several months, you will still need to ensure your article is available in PMC when the final manuscript becomes available online (e.g. epub ahead of print).

What types of papers are subject to the Public Access Policy?

• Peer-reviewed journal manuscripts
• Accepted for publication in a journal on or after July 1, 2025
• Result of funding by NIH in whole or in part

What types of research products are not subject to the Public Access Policy?

• Book chapters, dissertations, preprints, or other interim research products

What does it mean to be "directly" funded by the NIH?

• Costs that can be identified specifically with a particular sponsored project
• Costs that can be directly assigned to such activities relatively easily with a high degree of accuracy
• Publications that resulted from work conducted while an individual was supported by an Institutional Training, Career Development, or Related Award (e.g. T15, T32/TL1, T34/TL4, T35, T90, R25/RL5, R90/RL9, K12/KM1/KL2, D43, D71, DP7, U2R, U45)