---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2007 18:10:42 -0400
From: Peter Suber <peters_at_earlham.edu>
To: SPARC Open Access Forum <SPARC-OAForum_at_arl.org>
Subject: [SOAF] NIH update and next steps
[Forwarding from SPARC. --Peter.]
NIH Public Access Policy Update: Request for
letters to all Representatives and Senators
Dear friends;
Effective yesterday, both the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees have proposed FY08
spending bills that direct the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) to change its Public
Access Policy so that NIH-funded researchers are
required to deposit copies of NIH-funded research
into the online archive of the National Library of Medicine.
This is big step toward making the policy a
success a step achieved as a result of your
tireless efforts. But now is not the time to let
up. We need your help now more than ever.
The bills now go to the full House and the Senate
for approval. To help ensure success there, we
ask that all supporters contact their
Representatives AND Senators with support of the
proposed bills by phone or fax as soon as
possible. The House is expected to convene on
Tuesday, July 17, so we ask that Representatives
be contacted no later than MONDAY afternoon.
(Please see below for contact details.)
Please feel free to draw upon the following talking points:
* The Fiscal Year 2008 Labor/HHS Appropriations
Bill reported out of committee contains language
directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
to change its Public Access Policy so that it
requires NIH-funded researchers to deposit copies
of agency-funded research articles into the
National Library of Medicine^Òs online archive.
* This change is necessary for the policy to
achieve its goals: to expand use of NIH research
findings, enhance management of NIH's substantial
research portfolio, and provide for a sustainable
archive of research results funded with U.S. tax dollars.
* Widespread dissemination of research results is
an essential, inseparable component of our
nation's investment in science and a right of the
American taxpayer. It is only through use that we
obtain value from this investment, so the open
sharing of medical advances and scientific
findings will increase and accelerate the return of benefits to taxpayers.
* Public access to research will drive taxpayer
benefits such as accelerated scientific
advancement, enhanced national competitiveness, and improved public health.
* Unfortunately, access to scientific and medical
publications has lagged behind the wide reach of
the Internet into U.S. homes and institutions.
Fees for access to federally supported research
unnecessarily limit U.S. taxpayer access to
findings that result from the outlay of public funds.
* Mandatory NIH public access removes imposing
barriers, making the results of taxpayer-funded
research readily available online at no extra
charge to every scientist as well as to small
businesses, patients, physicians and clinicians,
students and educators, and the American public
without disrupting the important peer-review process.
* Over the more than two years since its
implementation, the NIH's current voluntary
policy has failed to achieve any of the agency's
stated goals, attaining a deposit rate of less
than 5% by individual researchers. A mandate is
required to ensure deposit in NIH^Òs online
archive of articles describing findings of all research funded by the agency.
* Mandatory public access to taxpayer-funded
research at the NIH has the full support of the
NIH Director, as well as broad bipartisan support in Congress.
* We urge Congress to approve without change the
language included in the Labor/HHS Appropriations
bill directing the NIH to implement a mandatory
policy ensuring free, timely access to all
research articles stemming from NIH-funded research.
It is vital that Congress hear from constituents
at this critical time. Please take action as soon
as you can, and let us know when you^Òre able to weigh in. As always, thank you.
Best wishes,
Jennifer
--------------------------
Jennifer McLennan
Director of Communications
SPARC
(The Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition)
<
http://www.arl.org/sparc>
http://www.arl.org/sparc
<
http://www.arl.org/sparc >
(202) 296-2296 ext 121
jennifer_at_arl.org
Received on Sat Jul 14 2007 - 23:38:02 BST