Public Access Policies: Foundations, Charities and Organizations

HHMI is a science philanthropy whose mission is to advance biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity. We empower exceptional scientists and students to pursue fundamental questions about living systems.

HHMI strongly encourages all HHMI laboratory heads to publish their original, peer-reviewed research in journals that make publications freely available and downloadable on-line immediately after publication (i.e. open access journals). If a laboratory head chooses to publish an original, peer-reviewed research publication on which he or she is a major author in a journal that is not open access, the laboratory head is responsible for ensuring that the publication is freely available and downloadable on-line as soon as reasonably possible after publication, and in any event within twelve months of publication. “Major author” normally includes both the first and last authors; if a middle author is designated in the paper as the corresponding author, then that author is also considered to be a major author.

In addition, if an HHMI laboratory head’s original, peer-reviewed research publication is in a journal in the biological or biomedical sciences, the publication must be available through PubMed Central as soon as reasonably possible, and in any event within twelve months of publication. Publications in journals in other scientific fields should be deposited in a comparable repository if one is available. Supplementary materials should be made available along with the publication.

If an Institute laboratory head is a co-author (but not the major author) or if any HHMI employee under the supervision of the Institute laboratory head is a major author (but the laboratory head is not a major author), then the laboratory head is strongly encouraged to advocate that the publication and supplementary materials be made freely available and downloadable on-line as soon as reasonably possible, and in any event within twelve months of publication.

Policy Statement

The effective date of the HHMI Policy is November 01, 2013.

The manuscript version required is the final, peer-reviewed manuscript version.

The embargo period is no later than 12 months after the official date of publication.

The repository is PubMed Central (PMC).