The Gates Foundation’s Open Access Policy
Ensuring unrestricted access and reuse of all research funded by the Gates Foundation through its Open Access Policy (OAP).
- Unlocked Issue 4 | December 2024Welcome to our fourth issue of Unlocked, the Gates Foundation Open Access Newsletter. Open Access Policy 2025, 5 Things Every Grantee Should Know, Support for PLoS to Drive Equity in Research Publishing, VeriXiV Webinar and Spotlight -Fair Process Framework.
- Unlocked Issue 3 | August 2024Welcome to our third issue of Unlocked, the Gates Foundation Open Access Newsletter. VeriXiv: Now Accepting Preprint, Spotlight: AfricArXiv and Spotlight: PREreview
What is the Open Access Policy
The Gates Foundation Open Access Policy (OAP) ensures that all peer-reviewed research funded by the foundation is accessible to everyone. We believe in the power of shared knowledge to drive innovation and solve global challenges. This policy supports unrestricted access and reuse of research, including any underlying data sets.
Why Open Access Matters
Open Access democratizes knowledge, allowing researchers, policymakers, and the public to benefit from the latest scientific discoveries. It accelerates innovation, enhances collaboration, and promotes transparency in research.
- Global Impact: Empowering global researchers with unrestricted access.
- Innovation: Accelerating discoveries by sharing knowledge.
- Equity: Ensuring everyone can benefit from research, regardless of geography or economic status.
How to Comply
Compliance with the Open Access Policy is straightforward. Follow these steps to ensure your research is accessible to all.
Pick a Journal
Submit Manuscript
Upload Data to a Repository
Confirm Paper is Accepted
Popular Resources and Tools
Access a range of resources to help you comply with the Open Access Policy, including guidelines, templates, and tools.
Quick Start Guides
The foundation has prepared a Grantee Publishing Guide and a Repository Guide to help guide you through the publishing process.
Payment Options for Publishing Fees
Read about the options available for your research.
FAIR Data Resources
This list of resources can provide best practices and guidance to support grantees aiming to make data FAIR.
Journal Checker Tool
Use the Journal Checker tool to find a compliant journal or to check the compliance of the journal you’re using.
Share Your Paper Tool
If your journal is not compliant then use the Share Your Paper Tool to help make your paper and data open access and compliant.
Deposit Your Paper
Grantees can now directly deposit their accepted manuscript to PubMed Central where it will seamlessly link to its PubMed record.