Effective July 1 2025: Updates to NIH Public Access Policy

Recap of the NIH Public Access Policy

Since 2008, the NIH Public Access Policy has required that all peer-review journal publications that have been supported by an NIH award must be shared within the NIH repository PubMed Central (PMC).

At a minimum, the author must ensure that the "Author Accepted Manuscript" version of the paper is deposited into PubMed Central so to demonstrate compliance with this policy. Once deposited into PMC, authors (and PIs) receive a PMCID# which can then be used to demonstrate compliance with the NIH Award during each Progress Report (RPPR) submission/updates/renewals.

What is Changing on July 1?

Prior to July 1st, 2025, authors have been allowed to impose a 12 month embargo on any of their NIH Public Access deposit requirements.

After July 1st, 2025, authors depositing "Author Accepted Manuscript(s)" must do so without an embargo period. All NIH supported publications (either "author accepted manuscript" or published version of record) must be deposited into PubMed Central immediately upon publication.

These papers must be made available freely within PubMed Central immediately (no embargo is permitted).

What do you need to know?

Depositing the author manuscript into PubMed Central does not require payment to the publisher for this specific action. After July 1st 2025, all such publications that are supported (in whole or in part) by NIH awards with be subject to the "Government Use License" (also known as the "Federal Purpose License"). This license there-by provides the necessary permissions for authors (of the NIH supported publication) and the NIH to legally share the "Author Accepted Manuscript" freely within PubMed Central.

Again - compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy does not require additional funds to pay for open access fees. However, if an author chooses to publish within a journal/publisher conditions article publication on the payment of a fee, that choice (and using alternative resources to fund the costs associated with that publication choice) is at the sole discretion of the author(s).

Where can I get more information?