Science Foundation of Ireland and the Health Research Board (HRB) are introducing a mandatory open access publication policy for all research

The Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) and the Health Research Board (HRB) are introducing a mandatory open access publication policy for all SFI and/or HRB-funded research, providing unrestricted access to published research.

HRB Director of Research Strategy and Funding Dr Mairead O’Driscoll said the HRB, along with the SFI, has consequently become a member of the UK PubMed Central Repository – a free-to-access digital archive of full-text peer reviewed biomedical and life sciences research.

“While the published research must still be subject to rigorous quality assurance through the peer review process, the public should not have to ‘pay twice’ for it by having to pay a fee to access the academic publication in question,” Dr O’Driscoll said.

The research community will be circulated detailed instructions on the practicalities of the move.