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NIH Public Access Policy

NIH has released its new Public Access Policy which becomes effective April 7, 2008.  NIH is now requiring that the author’s final version of any  peer-reviewed journal article resulting from NIH-funded activities, including NIH flow through, must be submitted to the PubMed Central (PMC) repository.  Future funding is contingent upon compliance with these new requirements.  Therefore, we are sending this letter to notify you about several compliance issues you need to be aware of. 

Copyright Agreements

Authors must ensure that agreements with publishers permit the submission of the author’s manuscript to NIH. 

• NIH has provided language that should be incorporated into a publisher’s agreement to ensure that the NIH policy requirements can be met
  

• The attached letter, signed by the Vice President for Research, should be sent with any publication or copyright agreement.  The letter notifies the publisher that, if accepted for publication, the article must be posted on PubMed Central. (Letter)
• The Merrill-Cazier Library can provide assistance with the copyright agreement.  Additional information is available on their website:  library.usu.edu/coldev/NIH.php

Manuscript Submission

For peer-reviewed manuscripts accepted for publication on or after April 7, 2008, authors must submit the final version of the manuscript, as well as accompanying files, to the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS).

•  Submission can be done by the author or a delegated representative
• Some publishers will submit manuscripts for authors.  A list is available on the NIH Website at: publicaccess.nih.gov/submit_process_journals.htm

Some publishers are charging fees to submit the article for you.  You can avoid paying the fee by submitting the manuscript to PubMed Central yourself.  The NIH submission process is simple and easy. 

 
Citing PubMed Central ID Numbers

When your manuscript is submitted to NIH, you will receive a NIHMS ID number and once it is available in PubMed Central, it will be assigned a PMC ID number.

Effective May 25, 2008, you will need to cite the PMC or NIHMS ID number for any articles you cite in your progress reports, new applications, and renewals.  While the ID will be voluntary for any publications published prior to April 7, 2008, documenting the ID on anything published afterwards is mandatory.

NIHMS Submission Procedures:

NIH has provided detailed Online Instructions that are available for users.  However, the list below summarizes the process:

1. Authors or their designee log on to the NIHMS to submit a copy of the accepted peer-reviewed manuscript and associated files.
2. The submitter designates the NIH funding that supported the manuscript.
3. The Investigator approves the submission, and affirms that copyright allows deposit to PMC.
4. The NIHMS converts the deposited files into a standard PMC format, and emails the PI to review the PMC-formatted manuscript to make any necessary corrections and approve its release.
5. The NIHMS sends the article to PubMed Central for public posting after the delay period specified during submission.

Some journals will deposit peer-reviewed manuscript files on behalf of their authors through the NIHMS. When this happens, authors still have to provide the associated award information, and review and approve the article. The NIHMS will contact them by e-mail to do so.

Additional Resources

Sponsored Programs and the Merrill-Cazier Library are available to provide assistance and guidance.  However, the following resources provide additional support that should prove useful.

NIH Public Access Policy Overview: publicaccess.nih.gov/

Tutorial on the NIHMS System:  www.nihms.nih.gov/web-help/index.html

Merrill-Cazier Library:  library.usu.edu/coldev/NIH.php