What is the NIH Public Access Policy?
The NIH Public Access Policy mandates that papers resulting from NIH-funded research be made available in PubMed Central no later than 12 months after publication. The Policy applies to peer-reviewed manuscripts (including their graphics and supplemental materials) accepted for publication on or after April 7th, 2008, for work arising in whole or in part from direct costs paid by the NIH or NIH staff.
Does the Policy apply to me?
The Policy applies to peer-reviewed manuscripts accepted for publication on or after April 7, 2008 and arising from any direct funding from
- an NIH grant or cooperative agreement active in Fiscal Year 2008, or;
- an NIH contract signed on or after April 7, 2008, or;
- the NIH Intramural Program
The Policy applies only to peer-reviewed journal manuscripts. The following items are outside the scope of the mandate and do not need to be submitted:
- Books or book chapters
- Non-peer-reviewed material, including correspondance and editorials
How do I comply with the Policy?
- Retain your copyright to archive the final, peer-reviewed manuscript (also called the pre-print manuscript)
- Submit your final, peer-reviewed manuscript to PubMed Central upon acceptance by the publisher
- Include the PubMed Central reference ID in any NIH application, proposal, or progress report
- See the NIH Public Access Policy FAQ for assistance
- See the NIH Reminder Concerning Grantee Compliance with Public Access Policy and Related NIH Monitoring Activities
For more information