Expedited publications policy

The implementation date for the new National Institutes of Health (NIH) Public Access Policy is expedited to take effect on July 1, 2025, according to a recent announcement. 

The new policy updates, which were originally scheduled to go into effect on December 31, 2025, will impact current and future NIH-funded researchers. 

It’s important to understand the policy and be prepared to be in compliance starting July 1. 

What researchers should know 

• The new policy updates apply to all publications resulting from work fully or partially funded by the NIH.
• Upon an article’s Official Date of Publication, the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) or Final Published Article* must be deposited in PubMed Central (PMC) without embargo.
  • If the journal or publisher has an agreement with the National Libraries of Medicine, the Final Published Article may be deposited in PMC by the journal on behalf of the authors.
  • If there is no such agreement, the authors are responsible for submitting the AAM to PMC.
• NIH funding must be acknowledged (refer to NIH Grant Policy Statement 4.2.1 and NIH Grant Policy Statement 8.2.1).

*Policy definitions

Author Accepted Manuscript: The author’s final version that has been accepted for journal publication and includes all revisions resulting from the peer review process, including all associated tables, graphics, and supplemental material.

Final Published Article: The journal's authoritative copy, including journal or publisher copyediting and stylistic edits, and formatting changes, even prior to the compilation of a volume or issue or the assignment of associated metadata.

Official Date of Publication: The date on which the Final Published Article is first made available in final, edited form, whether in print or electronic (i.e., online) format.

Related policies

Biosketch

• The SciENcv and Common Forms for Biographical Sketch implementation originally set for May 25, 2025, has been postponed. 
• The current NIH Biosketch and Other Support format pages for applications, Just-in-Time (JIT) and RPPRs should be used until the NIH issues a Guide Notice outlining the new effective date and implementation details.
• What researchers can do now to prepare for the upcoming changes:  
  • Familiarize yourself with SciENcv.
  • Get an ORCID ID and connect it to your eRA Commons account.
  • Link your ORCID ID to SciENcv.

Data management policy

• The related Data Management and Sharing Policy remains in effect.
  • This policy requires sharing data no later than the time of an associated publication or the end of the performance period, whichever comes first.
• Review the new RPPR reporting requirements as of October 2024.

Library resources and support

Get information about federal public access policies.

Contact us if you have any questions:

Ellen Dubinsky
Scholarly Communication Librarian

Fernando Rios, PhD
Associate Specialist, Research Data Management

Ahlam Saleh, MD, MLS
Associate Librarian, Health Sciences Library