On April 30, 2025, the NIH Director announced a revised implementation date for the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy. Originally set to go into effect on December 31, 2025, the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy will now be effective as of July 1, 2025 (NOT-OD-25-101).
The revised implementation date means that any Author Accepted Manuscript, resulting in whole or in part from funding by NIH, that is accepted for publication in a journal on or after July 1, 2025, is subject to the policy. Until that time, NIH’s current Public Access Policy, originally issued in 2008, will remain in effect.
The most significant change in the 2024 policy is the removal of the 12-month embargo period. Under the 2024 policy update, Author Accepted Manuscripts for NIH-funded work must be submitted to PubMed Central upon the Official Date of Publication. These articles will be made publicly accessible in PubMed Central when the Final Published Article is first made available, in print or online. If you are currently signing publisher agreements that include a one-year embargo, those agreements may directly conflict with the new NIH requirements, even if the manuscript is submitted before July 1.
Please note that the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy applies only to publications. There are no new requirements for research data, and all data management and sharing requirements remain covered by the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy.