Researchers holding federal funding should be aware of critical updates to the NIH Public Access Policy that will take effect on July 1, 2025. Originally scheduled to go into effect on December 31, 2025, these changes have been expedited by the federal government, and it is imperative that researchers understand and comply with the new requirements to avoid jeopardizing their current and future funding opportunities.
Key Changes to Note:
- Immediate Submission to PubMed Central: Researchers must submit their Author Accepted Manuscripts to PubMed Central without delay. This ensures that research is accessible to the public as soon as possible.
- No Embargo Period: There will no longer be an embargo period for journals. Full-text must be made publicly available in PubMed Central upon publication.
- Impact on Funding: Non-compliance with these new requirements could affect current and future funding opportunities, including grant renewals. It is crucial to adhere to these guidelines to maintain funding status.
- No Cost to Authors: Authors can submit their manuscript files to PubMed Central at no cost, regardless of whether they have published open access or not.
We encourage NIH researchers to take this matter seriously and make the necessary preparations to make sure their manuscripts accepted for publication on or after July 1, 2025 comply with the new NIH Public Access Policy.
For more information on the NIH Public Access Policy compliance submission process, please see our NIH Public Access Policy Guide. If you have any questions or need assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to the NIH Public Access Policy team at the Medical Center Library (nihpublicaccesscompliance@duke.edu).