The NIH Public Access Policy requires scientists to submit final peer-reviewed journal manuscripts that arise from NIH funds to PubMed Central immediately upon acceptance for publication.
The NIH Public Access Policy applies to any manuscript that:
New 2024 NIH Policy Update:
Effective July 1, 2025, all manuscripts accepted for publication in a journal on or after July 1, 2025, must be submitted to PubMed Central for public availability without embargo upon the official date of publication.
Paths to NIH Policy Compliance
SPARC developed this guide to help authors consider potential actions they might take at different stages of the funding lifecycle, along with additional resources they might find helpful.
FSU’s Open Access Policy calls for all research by FSU faculty to be made available to the public, at no charge, through FSU’s Digital Repository. A final pre-print version of your article should be deposited in FSU’s Digital Repository, ensuring that your work remains open and accessible to the public.
For more information: Open Access @ FSU
| Changes | 2008 Policy | 2024 Policy | |
| Policy Effective Dates | April 7, 2008 until June 30, 2025 | Starting July 1, 2025 | |
| Who is affected by the policy? | Person(s) funded by the NIH | Person(s) funded by the NIH | |
| What do you submit to comply? | Final peer-reviewed manuscript | Final peer-reviewed manuscript | |
| When do you submit to comply? | Upon acceptance of publication |
|
|
| When do you need make your version of the manuscript public? | No later than 12 months after the official date of publication | On the official date of publication (i.e., no embargo period) |
|
| Where do you submit your version of the manuscript? | PubMed Central | PubMed Central | |
| How do you illustrate policy compliance? | With a PubMed Central reference number (PMCID) within 90 days after publication | With a PubMed Central reference number (PMCID) immediately upon publication. Note: an NIH Manuscript Submission identifier (NIHMSID) may be used in lieu of a PMCID for up to three months following the official date of publication. |
Attribution: Welch Medical Library, Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, NIH Public Access Overview
Effective September 25, 2025, NIH has issued a policy on the appropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI) in NIH research grant applications. See the link below for more information about this policy.