National Institutes of Health public access policy

Please note: Below is the current policy and procedures for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This policy and procedure will change as all federal funding agencies begin compliance with the August 2022 White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) policy memorandum entitled “Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research.” Please see our OSTP/Nelson Memo impact webpage for more details and updates about the policies and upcoming changes.

What do I need to submit to NIH?

Peer-reviewed papers derived from research funded by NIH awards and accepted for publication must be submitted to PubMed Central (PMC) via the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS). Article versions of record (VoR) may be submitted if author holds copyright (e.g., open access) or has permission.

Where do I submit this?

Log in to the NIH Manuscript Submission System

When do I need to submit?

NIH-funded investigators are required to submit (or have submitted for them) their final, peer-reviewed manuscript to PubMed Central (PMC) upon acceptance of publication to be made publicly available within 12 months of publication.

How do I submit required publications?

Articles are submitted to PubMed Central (PMC) via the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS). There are four methods to ensure that an applicable paper is submitted to PubMedCentral (PMC) in compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy. Authors may use whichever method is most appropriate for them and consistent with their publishing agreement. To identify the submission and reporting method for a specific journal, use the submission method identification wizard.

  1. Method A: Some Journals automatically post NIH supported final published articles (versions of record) directly to PMC
  2. Method B: Authors must make special arrangements for some journals and publishers to post the final published article (version of record) directly to PMC
  3. Method C: Authors or their designee must submit final peer-reviewed manuscripts to the NIHMS
  4. Method D: Some publishers will submit final peer-reviewed manuscripts to the NIHMS

See NIH Public Access Policy- When and How to Comply.

Who can submit?

Authors, associated PI’s or 3rd parties (grant managers, delegates, journal/publisher, etc.).

More information: