Free and open access to publicly-funded research offers significant social and economic benefits. The Government, in line with its overarching commitment to transparency and open data, is committed to ensuring that such research should be accessible free of charge.

As public bodies, the Research Councils take their responsibilities very seriously in making the outputs from this research publicly available – not just to other researchers, but also to potential users in business, charitable and public sectors, and to the public.

Our current Open Access policy requires award holders of any grant awarded as a result of applications submitted from 1 October 2006 to deposit a copy of any resultant articles published in journals or conference proceedings, in the ESRC research catalogue. Grant holders should do this at the earliest opportunity. Article processing fees for open access journals are an allowed cost for any application. 

• ESRC Open Access Policy
  

The Research Councils are very pleased to be members and sponsors of the independent National Working Group on Expanding Access to Published Research Findings, chaired by Dame Janet Finch.

This independent group will propose a programme of action and make recommendations to government, research funders, publishers and other interested parties on how access to research findings and outcomes can be broadened for key audiences such as researchers, policy makers and the general public. Within the context of this group, the Research Councils will be developing further their policies for open access to publications.

Further information for grant holders

Our guidance for grant holders provides details of how to upload outputs and manage grants online.

• Guidance for grant holders