Federally funded studies must be freely available to the public, White House says

The White House has updated its policy on federally funded research. In future, the results of government-funded studies should be made public without delay. Until now, researchers who receive federal funding have been allowed to publish their findings in academic journals exclusively for one year, adding a paywall to their work. Agencies will need to update their policies accordingly by December 31, 2025.

The Biden administration hopes the move will allow for more equitable access to research. “All members of the American public should be able to take part in every part of the scientific enterprise – to direct, participate in, access and benefit from taxpayer-funded scientific research. In other words, all communities should be able to participate in the scientific enterprise. possibilities,” wrote Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Ryan Donohue and Deputy Director for Open Science and Data Policy Dr. Christopher Steven Marcum in the White House announcement.

They note that several discriminatory factors have kept many Americans from accessing search, including the paywall. Lack of adequate funding at "minority-serving colleges and institutions" and people's socioeconomic status "have historically and consistently prevented some Americans from accessing the full benefits of scientific research," the announcement said.

In accordance with the latest guidance from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the administration is eliminating the possibility of placing federally funded peer-reviewed research articles exclusively behind a wall of payment for 12 months. The updated policy builds on a 2013 memo on strengthening access to federally funded research results with the requirement to make "data published in peer-reviewed research articles immediately available." as soon as they are published". Further research data will be made available "within a reasonable time".

Publishing this data as soon as possible could accelerate the pace of scientific research. It may be easier for others to replicate and build on the results of studies. Nonetheless, the policy clarifies that it is important that researchers and agencies share data responsibly to ensure privacy and security standards are met.

Among other things, the councils allow researchers to include the costs of publishing and sharing data in their research budget proposals. The OSTP also works with several agencies to address funding inequities. Several agencies have programs through which they award grants to early career researchers and strengthen the "racial and gender diversity of grant applicants and the scientific workforce".

More than 20 agencies were the subject of the 2013 memo, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Transportation, and NASA. All agencies have established policies for rapidly releasing scientific data, which they may now need to update.

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