Unlocked Issue 4 | December 2024
December 20, 2024
Welcome to Unlocked
The Gates Foundation Open Access Newsletter
Welcome to Unlocked, the Gates Foundation Open Access Newsletter. This is our fourth and final issue of 2024. Through this newsletter, we aim to provide updates and insights into the OA policy and projects at the foundation.
Open Access Policy 2025
The 2025 Open Access Policy takes effect in January 2025. Preprints will be required, and individual Article Processing Charges (APC’s) will no longer be paid. Visit the Open Access website for more information. As you prepare to comply with the new policy, here are 5 things every grantee should know.
5 things every grantee should know…
1. How to find a Preprint Server
The refreshed policy requires all foundation funded manuscripts to be made available as an Open Access preprint with a CC-BY License in a verified preprint server. Grantees can find a list of preprint servers via ASAPbio, asapbio.org/preprint-servers
2. Your grant number
Manuscripts should acknowledge the foundation and include your grant number. Grant numbers begin with INV or OPP and it is preferred to use the newest grant number which generally begins with INV.
3. What to do if your article has already been accepted and you did not post a preprint
If a preprint has not been posted before article acceptance, grantees should deposit the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) in a repository, like PubMed Central or Zenodo, with an open license. For more information, visit the Open Access Help Center.
4. What to do if you have an invoice for an article submitted in 2024?
The foundation will support the APCs of articles submitted to eligible journals prior to January 1st, 2025. Invoices submitted should include the grant number, indication that the article license is CC BY, title of DOI, journal name and date of article submission. Questions: [email protected]
5. Help is just a click away
For questions about the Open Access policy, grantees can visit the Open Access website, Submit questions at the Open Access Help Center, or email the Open Access team at [email protected]
Announcing Our Support for PLoS to Drive Equity in Research Publishing
The Gates Foundation has announced a grant of $3.3 million to support non-profit science and medicine research publisher PLoS (the Public Library of Science) in transitioning toward APC (Article Processing Charges)-free publishing. The funding will allow authors to publish research Open Access on the PLoS without cost.
The funding is in service of the foundation’s forthcoming Open Access policy refresh, taking effect January 1, 2025, which will end support for APCs and mandate our grantees publish their research as a preprint (Learn More).
Both our funding for PLoS and the policy refresh reflect the foundation’s mission to drive equity in research publishing, transforming Open Access systems and practices so that all researchers, regardless of their financial backing, can maximize the impact and reach of their work.
Spotlight: VeriXiv Webinar
In this webinar, we will explain the changes to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s open access policy that come into effect from January 2025, including the requirement for all Gates-funded research to be published as a preprint. We will explain what preprints are, why they are valuable, and the ways that preprints can support you to disseminate your research findings quickly and transparently while promoting unrestricted access and reuse of research funded by the Foundation. Register: VeriXiv Webinar
Webinar: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 2025 Open Access Policy Refresh: Introducing VeriXiv
Thursday January 23rd, 2025
8:00AM – 9:00AM PST
Register
Spotlight: FAIR Process Framework
Use this framework to generate the necessary data management and access plan for a successful project. Available for all Gates-funded grantees to use. Designed by the foundation’s AgDev team. Visit: www.fairprocessframework.org
Thoughts & Talk
News and Responses to the 2025 Open Access Policy Refresh
> LSE Impact Blog: Preprints at a crossroads – Are we compromising openness for credibility? (Link)
> Economist: Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever (Link)
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we look forward to the year ahead and the implementation of the refreshed Open Access policy. We want to remind grantees of the help resources available.
We also encourage you to reach out to your program officer if you have questions related to your grant.