Managing NIH Public Access Compliance: Overview

This guide offers detailed information on each step.

• Determine applicability
   
• Address copyright
   
• Deposit paper in PMC 
   
• Show evidence of compliance
   
• Use My Bibliography for reporting in eRA Commons

Use the tabs above to learn how to become fully compliant with the NIH Mandate.

PubMed Central was created in 2000 as a digital, open access repository for biomendical and life sciences journal literature. In 2008 Congress mandated that all peer-reviewed journal articles that arise from NIH-funded research must be submitted.

PubMed links to the full text articles in PubMed Central.

In 2024, NIH Issued an updated NIH Public Access Policy.

NEW POLICY: Peer-reviewed journal articles arising from NIH-funded research and accepted for publication on or after July 1, 2025 must be submitted to PubMed Central (PMC) for IMMEDIATE release.  

• PREVIOUS POLICY: Peer-reviewed journal articles arising from NIH-funded research and accepted for publication on or after April 7, 2008 must be deposited in PubMed Central (PMC).  

• For awards that were closed prior to July 1, 2025, authors with any subsequent Author Accepted Manuscripts resulting from and citing the closed NIH award are expected to continue to comply with the 2008 Public Access Policy, which allows for an up-to 12-month embargo. Submission to PMC must be completed within 3 months of the Official Date of Publication and the article made publicly available immediately (Release Delay of 0 months).
   
• All communications with NIH, e.g. applications, proposals or progress reports, must include the PMC or NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) reference number when citing applicable articles that arise from their NIH funded research.
   
• NIH authors must use My NCBI Bibliography to enter the references in their eRA Commons professional bibliography.
   
• NIH researcher, Primary Investigator AND institution are responsible for compliance.

Ahlam Saleh, Associate Librarian
Health Sciences Library, Tucson
University of Arizona
saleh1@arizona.edu
520-626-5450

Angela Murrell, Associate Librarian
Health Sciences Library, Tucson
University of Arizona
angelamurrell@arizona.edu
520-626-2739

NCBI 
info@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

eRA Commons
1-866-504-9522
Help Desk Form

NIH Manuscript Submission System

NIHMS help
nihms-help@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

NIH
PublicAccess@nih.gov