The document presents a comprehensive overview of the current landscape, priorities, and future directions of U.S. federal agencies regarding public access and open science initiatives, as discussed by representatives from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Department of Energy (DOE). Central to the discussion are the recent policy updates stemming from OSTP’s 2022 memorandum, which accelerate requirements for free, immediate, and equitable public access to federally funded research outputs, including publications, data, and associated metadata. The agencies collectively affirm their commitment to advancing open science by removing previous publication embargos, strengthening data sharing mandates, fostering interoperability and persistent identifiers, and seeking broad stakeholder input to increase the accessibility and reproducibility of research.
Each agency outlines its progress in implementing these directives: NIH highlights its move to fully embargo-free public access to publications and ongoing efforts to build an integrated data ecosystem, while NSF emphasizes the challenges posed by its broad disciplinary portfolio and the necessity of balancing standardized policies with discipline-specific needs and equity concerns. NASA reasserts its foundational value of openness, with policy updates ensuring alignment with federal mandates, and a focus on inclusive and reproducible science with minimal administrative burden. DOE details its historical leadership in public access via robust repositories and data management policies, and its plans to further enhance publication immediacy, data sharing, and persistent identification practices. Collectively, the agencies seek to optimize the public benefits of federal research investment, promote scientific integrity, ensure equitable participation and access, and minimize administrative burden, while also acknowledging remaining challenges related to costs, equity, and diverse disciplinary cultures. Stakeholder engagement and interagency coordination remain guiding principles as these agencies finalize and socialize their enhanced public access policies ahead of full implementation by the end of 2025.
