OSTP Makes Federally Funded Research Easily Accessible to the Public
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) updated policy guidance (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/08/25/ostp-issues-guidance-to-make-federally-funded-research-freely-available-without-delay/) in August 2022 to allow the average American easier access to publications (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/08/25/ostp-issues-guidance-to-make-federally-funded-research-freely-available-without-delay/). The new guidance applies to taxpayer-funded (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/08/25/ostp-issues-guidance-to-make-federally-funded-research-freely-available-without-delay/) research studies and makes the results publicly available for free.
“When research is widely available to other researchers and the public, it can save lives, provide policymakers with the tools to make critical decisions, and drive more equitable outcomes across every sector of society,” Alondra Nelson, PhD, who was OSTP director at the time, said (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/08/25/ostp-issues-guidance-to-make-federally-funded-research-freely-available-without-delay/). “The American people fund tens of billions of dollars of cutting-edge research annually. There should be no delay or barrier between the American public and the returns on their investments in research.”
The new policy build on the Biden-Harris administration’s work to level the playing field for innovators by ending the option to put taxpayer-funded research (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/08/25/ostp-issues-guidance-to-make-federally-funded-research-freely-available-without-delay/) behind a paywall which could block innovators and scientists (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/08/25/ostp-issues-guidance-to-make-federally-funded-research-freely-available-without-delay/) from accessing research findings. Agencies must implement the updated guidance (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/08/25/ostp-issues-guidance-to-make-federally-funded-research-freely-available-without-delay/) by December 31, 2025.
Removing research barriers drives discoveries that advance evidence-based practice (https://www.ons.org/make-difference/advocacy-and-policy/position-statements/ONN) and ultimately improve patient outcomes.