Science.gov

Public Access Plans & Guidance

On August 25, 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) updated its U.S. public access policy guidance to make the results of taxpayer-supported research immediately available to the American public at no cost. The 2022 OSTP Public Access Memo, "Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research," expands on OSTP's 2013 guidance to Federal agencies with over $100 million in annual research and development expenditures. Key policy updates include:

• Removing the optional 12-month publication embargo with plans to ensure federally funded peer-reviewed research articles are made freely available and publicly accessible by default in agency-designated repositories
• Strengthening the data sharing plans of the 2013 Memorandum by making data published in peer-reviewed research articles immediately available upon publication and other research data available within a reasonable timeframe
• Supporting research integrity and scientific integrity in public access policies
• Setting the stage for implementation through interagency coordination through the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Open Science (SOS)

All federal agencies with research and development expenditures are subject to this guidance. OSTP expects agency policies for increasing public access to scholarly publications and scientific data be publicly posted by December 31, 2024 and to go into effect by December 31, 2025. Agencies are expected to update and post their public access policies by December 31, 2026 with additional provisions related to supporting research and scientific integrity.

The listing below provides links to and information on public access plans and guidance, including responses to the 2022 OSTP policy guidance. Please check back periodically as this list will be refreshed as agencies publicly post their new or updated public access plans and policies.