We want to bring your attention to an important upcoming policy change that will impact how we manage and share our research at The University of Texas at Austin.
In August 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued new guidance—commonly referred to as the Nelson memo—that will require all federally funded research outputs to be made immediately and freely available to the public upon publication. This guidance builds on previous public access policies, but the new rules go further by eliminating the 12-month embargo period for access to scholarly articles and expanding requirements for the sharing of underlying research data.
This change, expected to be fully implemented by December 31, 2025, applies to all federally funded research across disciplines. As one of the leading public research institutions in the country, the university will play a key role in ensuring that our research is shared as widely and openly as possible, in alignment with the new federal mandates.
What Does This Mean for You?
- Immediate Public Access: If your research is funded by a federal agency, you will be required to make your publications and related data freely available to the public immediately upon release. This will likely involve depositing your work in a repository or publishing in open access journals.
- Sharing Research Data: You will also need to make the underlying data behind your publications accessible to the public, ensuring transparency and facilitating broader collaboration in the research community.
- Support from your University of Texas Libraries: The University of Texas Libraries is here to support you as we transition to this new policy. We offer guidance on open access publishing, data management and compliance with funder requirements, including the use of institutional repositories such as Texas ScholarWorks and the Texas Data Repository.
Over the coming months, we will be offering information sessions and workshops to help researchers, faculty, and graduate students understand these changes and prepare for the new requirements. We encourage all members of the university research community to take advantage of these opportunities and learn how the policy can enhance the visibility and impact of your work.
We're excited to see how this policy will amplify the reach of research produced at UT Austin, enabling even greater contributions to science, education and innovation. We are working to build a team of experts to assist and ensure you have the resources you need for a smooth transition.
For more information, please visit the UT Libraries website: https://guides.lib.utexas.edu/public-access/ostpmemo.
Thank you for your continued commitment to making The University of Texas at Austin a leader in open and accessible research.
