2025-02-25

Tri-Agency invites feedback on draft Open Access policy updates

Canada's federal granting agencies release the draft, revised Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications for public feedback

Canada's federal research granting agencies — the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) ("the Agencies") — have released a draft, revised Tri-Agency Open Access (OA) Policy on Publications ("OA Policy") for public feedback. 

In July 2023, the Presidents of the Agencies announced the review of the OA Policy, with the goal of requiring that any peer-reviewed journal publications arising from agency-supported research be freely available, without subscription or fee, at the time of publication. The renewed OA Policy will be released by the end of 2025. 

As publicly funded organizations, the Agencies have a fundamental interest in contributing to societal advancement by promoting the availability of findings to the widest possible audience and at the earliest possible opportunity. Immediate and free access to peer-reviewed publications enables readers in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, as well as the general public, to use and build upon these findings, optimizing the impact of research investments. The Agencies also aim through the revised policy to ensure the sustainability and equity of research publishing. 

Momentum for immediate OA has been growing in Canada and worldwide since the release of the first Tri-Agency OA Policy in 2015. A renewed OA Policy will ensure the Agencies remain aligned with other research funders in Canada and globally. 

Since the announcement of the OA Policy review, the Agencies have engaged with a wide range of partners within the research community to identify the key features of an effective, comprehensive, sustainable and equitable immediate OA Policy for peer-reviewed research articles. Engagements included an online survey and thematic engagement sessions, findings from which were published in a What We Heard Report.

Cooperation of key players across the broader research community is essential to the success of the OA Policy update, and for the advancement of OA as a whole. The Agencies are currently exploring the incentives and enablers needed across the research ecosystem to support the Policy's successful implementation.

The Agencies recognize the complexity of the OA landscape, and the need to optimize the benefits of OA practices while minimizing the potential for unintended negative effects. As such, the Agencies are inviting feedback on the draft, revised OA Policy through an online form until March 31, 2025. The Agencies will review the submitted feedback to inform the final, revised OA Policy.

More info here: https://science.gc.ca/site/science/en/interagency-research-funding/policies-and-guidelines/open-access