Researchers take note: It is important to understand and comply with the new NIH Public Access Policy, effective July 1, 2025. Failure to comply could have serious implications, including delays or loss of current and future NIH grant funding and increased institutional scrutiny from federal agencies. It is essential that all researchers funded by the NIH understand and act on the upcoming policy changes.
The Health Sciences Library and School of Medicine Office of Research are here to help!
What’s Changing?
Beginning July 1, 2025, the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy mandates that all peer-reviewed journal articles resulting from NIH-funded research must be deposited into PubMed Central (PMC) and made immediately publicly available upon publication. Embargo periods will no longer be permitted.
What This Means for Researchers
Previously, many publishers deposited articles into PMC after an embargo period at no cost. Under the new policy:
- Articles must be deposited into PMC at the time of publication.
- Embargo periods are no longer allowed.
- Submitting to bioRxiv or other repositories does not meet the requirements.
- Some publishers may still submit the article on your behalf, but may now charge a fee for immediate open access.
- Uploading the publisher’s PDF may violate copyright, depending on your publication agreement.
How the Health Sciences Library Can Help
The HSL is here to support researchers in navigating these changes and ensuring compliance by offering:
- Online guidance or consultations on submission processes and free methods to comply with the Policy;
- Guidance on uploading the correct version—whether the publisher’s PDF (when allowed) or the final peer-reviewed Author Accepted Manuscript, which also meets NIH requirements;
- Help using the NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) system or My NCBI to track compliance.
Researchers are strongly encouraged to review their current and upcoming publications and reach out for assistance in preparing for this transition.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the library with questions or to schedule a consultation.
Filed Under: Research