NIH Public Access Policy 2025

Starting July 1, 2025, NIH funded researchers are required to make available in PubMed Central (PMC) the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) or Final Published Article (Version of Record-VOR) for any peer-reviewed journal article based on research funded, in whole or in part, by NIH grants immediately upon the Official Date of Publication. 

The updated public access policy applies to any article accepted for publication on or after July 1, regardless of when it was submitted for publication. 

The Public Access Policy applies to all grants, including those awarded prior to the implementation date.

Authors must include a statement in the AAM and Final Published Article that satisfies the requirements in the NIH Grants Policy Statements GPS 4.2.1 and GPS 8.2.1 and other requirements for acknowledging federal funding in the terms of Other Transaction agreements and applicable contracts.

When submitting to NIH, authors must also agree to a license similar to the Government Use License (2 CFR 200.315), explicitly granting NIH the right to make the AAM publicly available in PMC, with no embargo, on the Official Date of Publication.

Definitions

• Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM): "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."

NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy 2023