US research funding · Author checklist
NIH public access: check your journal before submission
For NIH-supported research, plan how the paper will reach PubMed Central before choosing a journal. Use this checklist to separate deposit arrangements, publication dates and journal-quality checks.
Sources checked: · Independent guidance for research articles
What changed for NIH-funded papers?
Under the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy, covered author accepted manuscripts accepted on or after July 1, 2025 must be submitted to PMC upon acceptance and made publicly available without embargo on the Official Date of Publication. Check the policy applicable to your funding and acceptance date; a US affiliation alone does not establish NIH coverage. NIH public access policy and implementation guidance.
Start a submission folder with the award details and the journal’s exact title, ISSN and website. Ask your research office to resolve uncertainty about scope before relying on a publisher’s general claim that it is “NIH compliant.”
Who will deposit the paper?
PMC describes publisher deposit of final articles and manuscript submission through NIHMS. A publisher’s participation may cover all articles or only certain articles. Where a publisher’s deposit carries an embargo, an author accepted manuscript may need a separate route to immediate availability. Confirm the arrangement for your paper. PMC’s submission methods for authors.
- Inspect the journal record. Review its deposit agreement and release delay in the PMC Journal List. Save the record and date.
- Get a specific answer. Ask the publisher which version it will deposit, when it will become public and whether you need to initiate NIHMS submission.
- Assign the follow-up. Name one coauthor to retain the accepted files and monitor the agreed deposit route. NIHMS manuscript approvals require author action even when someone else starts the submission. NIH Public Access and PMC.
A worksheet for your submission folder
Fill in the evidence, rather than ticking a publisher’s logo. These are practical recordkeeping prompts, not an NIH form.
| Question | Record to keep |
|---|---|
| Which work and funding? | Manuscript title, relevant awards and research-office advice. |
| Which timeline? | Acceptance email, publication date and planned public-release date. |
| Who handles the deposit? | Named author, publisher confirmation and the version being supplied. |
| Has the task finished? | PMC record, full-text availability and outstanding author approvals. |
A PMID identifies a PubMed citation; it is different from a PMCID. A PMCID can be assigned while a paper is still under embargo, so also check that the required full text is publicly available. Identifier definitions; PMC’s PMCID guidance.
Example: the journal promises “PubMed indexing”
Hypothetical case: a researcher receives an invitation displaying a PubMed badge and a publication fee. The useful follow-up is a written explanation of the paper’s deposit route and release timing. A search result for an older article does not answer those questions.
Run a separate PubMed indexing check, examine peer review and editorial evidence, and compare the complete publication charges. Keep academic suitability, funder requirements and payment decisions as separate entries in your notes.
Does every US-funded paper use NIH’s rules?
No. PMC supports multiple funder policies, and each funder maintains its own requirements. Check all relevant awards in a collaboration. PMC and research funder policies.
For another funding source, start with its official policy. Related guides cover UKRI-funded articles and Canada’s Tri-Agency policy.