The 2024 NIH Public Access Policy (NIH PAP) will now go into effect on July 1, 2025, replacing the existing 2008 Public Access Policy. The 2024 Policy applies to any Author Accepted Manuscript (final peer-reviewed manuscript) accepted for publication in a journal on or after July 1, 2025.
The updated policy requires the submission of an electronic version of the Author Accepted Manuscript to PubMed Central immediately upon acceptance for publication, without embargo**, to be made publicly available on the Official Date of Publication.
**Note: The prior policy allowed for up to a 12 month embargo period before public availability.
About the NIH Public Access Policy
The Policy ensures that the public has access to the published results of NIH-funded research. It requires researchers to submit Author Accepted Manuscripts that arise from NIH funds to the digital archive PubMed Central.
Compliance will help ensure continuation of funding. Per the NIH notice NOT-OD-12-160:
How to Prepare:
- Assume that publishers’ existing NIH PAP policies will change after July 1.
- Make a plan for ensuring NIH PAP compliance as you prepare each manuscript.
- Explore and confirm all NIH PAP compliance options with journal editors in advance of signing author agreements.
Where to Get Additional Assistance
Review the Taubman Health Sciences Library NIH PAP guide (https://guides.lib.umich.edu/nihpublicaccesspolicy) for more information.
If you have questions about the policy change and how to comply, please contact the Taubman Health Sciences Library Informationists at [email protected].