White House Rules All Federally-Funded Studies Will Be Free For Everyone

In a win for freedom of information, the White House has recently updated its policies to reflect that federally-funded research studies must be made available to the public at no charge. 

Currently, the law states that researchers receiving federal support could first publish their findings on academic journals for a year, which usually have a paywall, before moving it to the public domain. 

Now, by December 31, 2025, all agencies will be required to follow the new direction, which aims to make access to research more equitable for everyone across the country.

“All members of the American public should be able to take part in every part of the scientific enterprise—leading, participating in, accessing, and benefitting from taxpayer-funded scientific research,” said Senior Policy Advisor Dr Ryan Donohue and Assistant Director for Open Science and Data Policy Christopher Steven Marcum. 

“Financial means and privileged access must never be a pre-requisite to realizing the benefits of federally-funded research that all Americans deserve,” they added. 

As Engadget points out, not only will this make access to studies more readily available for non-academics, it could also spur on scientific research. With more information out in the open, it may become easier for others to replicate or build upon pre-existing studies. 

“This policy change lowers the barriers to accessing scientific results,” the announcement stated. 

“This public access policy of the United States Government should benefit all sectors of society and these updates help to achieve that goal and deliver equitable access to America’s research to foster endless scientific possibilities.” 

[via Engadget and The White House, cover image via Cammeraydave | Dreamstime.com]