The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) will introduce a cap on how much publishers can charge NIH-supported scientists to make their work publicly accessible. Scheduled to take effect in Fiscal Year 2026, the move aims to curb excessive article processing charges (APCs), promote transparency, and ensure broader public access to federally funded research.
The decision responds to growing concerns over high publishing fees. Some publishers reportedly charge up to $13,000 per article for open access, while also receiving significant subscription payments from federal agencies. According to NIH, the cap would assist in the elimination of “perverse incentives” and better align publication costs with the public’s benefit.
• The initiative builds on NIH’s existing open science and public access framework, which includes:
• The NIH Public Access Policy, ensuring peer-reviewed articles from NIH funding are made publicly available without embargo.
• The NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy, promoting timely sharing of scientific data regardless of publication status.
• The NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT), which offer public access to NIH-funded research expenditures, outputs, and activities.
• The NIH Intramural Access Policy, supporting licensing of NIH-developed technologies to expand patient and public access.
NIH officials stated that the cap reflects a continued commitment to maximize the public value of federal research investments by making research outputs more affordable and accessible.
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