The Biden administration has mandated that all federally-funded research become available to the public––for free.
The move does away with paywalls that may be prohibitive to many American taxpayers. Many communities were previously unable to access the scientific and technological advancements revealed in this research as a result of disadvantaged funding due to discrimination and structural inequalities. As a result, many Americans have been “historically and systematically excluded” from accessing research they helped fund, according to the White House.
“All members of the American public should be able to take part in every part of the scientific enterprise—leading, participating in, accessing, and benefitting from taxpayer-funded scientific research,” the White House stated. “That is, all communities should be able to take part in America’s scientific possibilities.”
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released new policy guidance that will eliminate the 12-month publication embargo for federally funded peer-reviewed research articles––which has limited access to those who pay for it or have access through libraries or institutions––and strengthen data-sharing plans by making data published in peer-reviewed research articles immediately available upon publication and other research data available within a reasonable timeframe.
Previous public research has been accessible guided by the 2013 OSTP Memorandum on Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Research, known as the 2013 Memorandum. The changes implemented by the White House build off of that 2013 Memorandum, which has helped establish a more open and trustworthy government as all 20 agencies subject to it developed plans and implemented policies according to those provisions.
The OSTP also announced several resources to support the work to meet the requirements of the policy change, such as sharing budget costs for publication in research budget proposals, a re-chartered National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Open Science (SOS) to help OSTP lead a coordination process to ensure that public access policies are supported; and the publication of Economic Landscape of Federal Public Access Policy, a report to help better understand potential economic impacts of these policy changes that has also been transmitted to Congress.
“When research is widely available to other researchers and the public, it can save lives, provide policymakers with the tools to make critical decisions and drive more equitable outcomes across every sector of society,” Alondra Nelson, PhD, head of OSTP, said in a statement. “The American people fund tens of billions of dollars of cutting-edge research annually. There should be no delay or barrier between the American public and the returns on their investments in research.”
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."