Expanding Public Access to the Results of Federally Funded Research
Today the Obama Administration issued a directive outlining a new policy to help increase access to the results of federally funded scientific research.
The directive states: “The Administration is committed to ensuring that, to the greatest extent and with the fewest constraints possible and consistent with law and the objectives set out below, the direct results of federally funded scientific research are made available to and useful for the public, industry, and the scientific community. Such results include peer-reviewed publications and digital data.”
The Office of Science and Technology Policy is directing each Federal agency with over $100 million in annual conduct of research and development expenditures to develop a plan to support increased public access to the results of research funded by the Federal Government. In devising these plans, agencies will consult stakeholders, including federally funded researchers, universities, libraries, publishers, users of federally funded research results, and civil society groups, to find sustainable ways in which access to research can be expanded.
