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NIH Public Access Policy

Information and Resources on the NIH Public Access Policy

Policy Overview

Introduction

This guide is designed to help NIH-funded researchers, administrators, and support staff understand the NIH Public Access Policy and how to meet its requirements. Whether you are new to NIH funding or supporting a team of investigators, this guide provides practical information on the policy’s purpose, submission requirements, compliance steps, and available tools.

What’s New? 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) updated its Public Access Policy, with implementation now set for July 1, 2025. The key changes in the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy include a new requirement for immediate public access to the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) upon publication and that authors agree to a standard government use license when depositing the AAM to PubMed Central.

Feature Old Policy New Policy
Embargo Up to 12 months No embargo allowed - must be publicly available immediately
Submission Timing On acceptance On acceptance
Government Use License Not required Required
Funding Acknowledgement Required Required

For NIH awards that closed before July 1, 2025, any manuscripts resulting from and citing those awards should continue to follow the 2008 Public Access Policy, which allows for an up-to 12-month embargo. If your grant was awarded prior to July 1, 2025 and is still open, then you are expected to comply with the new policy for any resulting manuscripts.

Key Requirements

To comply with the 2024 NIH Public Access policy:

  • Deposit: The author accepted manuscript (AAM), which includes all revisions from peer review, must be deposited to PubMed Central as soon as it is accepted for publication.
  • Immediate Public Access: The AAM must be publicly accessible through PubMed Central immediately upon publication. No embargo period is allowed.
  • License Agreement: Authors must agree to the standard government use license when submitting the AAM to PubMed Central.
  • Demonstrate Compliance: Cite the PMCID in all NIH progress reports, applications, and proposals.

How can the Library help?

The OHSU Library provides resources and services to assist OHSU investigators with meeting the NIH Public Access Policy requirements.  Our goal is to make compliance clear and easy.  Please contact the library to schedule a consultation with a librarian about any of the following topics:

  • Guidance with compliance
  • Presentations to department authors and staff
  • Assistance with troubleshooting non-compliant papers