National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Open Access Policy

Abstract

The NHMRC Open Access Policy mandates that all peer-reviewed publications arising from NHMRC-funded research must be made freely available immediately upon publication (final publisher's version immediately after it is published). The NHMRC policy specifically applies to publications resulting from NHMRC-funded research. It stands out in terms of clarity, strictness, and its potential impact on open science practices, with key features such as:

1) Immediate Open Access with no embargo period in contrast to other policies allowing a 12 month embargo period,

2) The policy is clear and enforceable: publications must be deposited in an open-access repository or published in an open-access journal,

3) addresses all peer-reviewed publications,

4)The NHMRC has mechanisms in place to monitor compliance and enforce the policy. NHMRC’s policy places Australia at the forefront of open access in medical and health-related research, by making research findings available immediately thus accelerating innovation and improving patient outcomes.

Overview

Country	Australia
Start date	2022
Annual Budget	n/a
Responsible organisation(s)	Government agency
Target group(s)	Researchers, institutions, and the general public who benefit from access to NHMRC-funded research outputs
Policy instrument type	This is a legislative measure designed to enforce open access to research publications

Background

This policy aligns with the Australian Government’s commitment to open access and the global open science movement, which promotes the sharing of research outputs to enhance innovation and collaboration.

Objective(s)

To increase the dissemination and accessibility of research, improve research integrity, and contribute to a stronger knowledge economy by ensuring that publicly funded research is openly accessible.

Public access URL

https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/resources/nhmrc-open-access-policy#:~:text=Our%20Open%20Access%20Policy%20(the;simply%20'free%20to%20read'.

All tags

• Data governance for trust
• Australia
• 2022
• Government agency
• Higher education institutes
• Entrepreneurial networks
• National government
• Public research institutes
• Technology transfer offices
• Strategies, agendas and plans
• Open access by default

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