NIH Public Access Policy Information for Researchers
The NIH Public Access Policy ensures that the public has access to the published results of NIH-funded research. It requires scientists to submit final peer-reviewed journal manuscripts that arise from NIH funds to the digital archive PubMed Central upon acceptance for publication. To help advance science and improve human health, the Policy requires that these papers be accessible to the public on PubMed Central no later than 12 months after publication.
Please see Clarification re Use of an NIHMSID to Indicate Compliance
(Published August 12, 2009)
The Public Access Policy applies if the following conditions are true:
- Your manuscript is accepted by a peer-reviewed journal on or after April 7, 2008.
- Your manuscript is a product of NIH direct funding (whether or not you are the PI), including sub-awards.
- Your NIH funding is active in fiscal year 2008 or later.
Principal Investigators: You are responsible for making sure that everyone on your project team complies with the policy.
Does the Public Access Policy apply to your manuscript?
Is the journal you are submitting your manuscript to a PubMed Central journal?--then Yes, the policy applies to you.
The policy does not apply to my manuscript - then No, you do not need to do anything.
Before you publish:
- If you publish in a journal that submits articles to PubMed Central on behalf of authors, you do not need to do anything.
- If you publish in a journal whose publishing agreement allows for deposit of manuscripts in PubMed Central within 12 months of publication, you will need to deposit your manuscript in PubMed Central when it is accepted.
- If you publish in a journal whose standard publishing agreement or copyright transfer agreement does not allow for deposit in PubMed Central within 12 months of publication, you will need to inform the journal that your article is subject to the NIH Public Access Policy when you submit it, and attach an addendum to the publishing agreement you sign. Model addenda:
- Penn State Hershey Copyright Addendum (PDF)
- Penn State Faculty Senate Resolution to Endorse the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) Statement on Publishing Agreements (PDF)
- NIH suggested language
When your manuscript is accepted:
- If the journal does not submit manuscripts to PubMed Central automatically, you will need to deposit the final peer-reviewed manuscript upon acceptance. Use the NIH Manuscript Submission System or we can deposit it for you.
When you cite your NIH-funded work:
- When you cite articles arising from NIH-funded research and covered by the Public Access Policy in an application, proposal, or progress report submitted to NIH on or after May 25, 2008, you must include the PMCID or NIHMSID.