Faculty Toolkit: Scholarly Communication: NIH Mandate

Does your NIH funded research include data?  See the ACPHS Office of Research & Sponsored Programs intranet page for information and open repository recommendations.  Click here for an overview of the NIH Data Management & Sharing Policy and what types of research projects fall under the NIH Mandate. 

The National Institutes of Health Public Access Policy requires scientists to submit final peer-reviewed journal manuscripts that arise from NIH funds to the free digital archive, PubMed Central, in order to help advance science and improve human health. These articles should be submitted no longer that 12 months after the date of original publication.

The Policy implements Division G, Title II, Section 218 of PL 110-161 (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008) which states:

SEC. 218. The Director of the National Institutes of Health shall require that all investigators funded by the NIH submit or have submitted for them to the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central an electronic version of their final peer-reviewed manuscripts upon acceptance for publication, to be made publicly available no later than 12 months after the official date of publication: Provided, That the NIH shall implement the public access policy in a manner consistent with copyright law.

Compliance with this policy requires four steps. Click on the links for further information about each step.

1. Determine applicability. Does the NIH mandate apply to your paper?  Note: NIH funding includes cooperative agreements and contracts.  If NIH support is acknowledged in the paper, the NIH Mandate will most likely apply.
2. Address copyright. Retain the appropriate copyrights to allow your paper to be posted in PubMed Central.
3. Submit your paper to PubMed Central.
4. Include PMCID in citations.

For more information, visit NIH's Public Access Policy website.