House Backs Taxpayer-Funded Research

[Jennifer McLennan <jennifer@arl.org>]

Alliance for Taxpayer Access
www.taxpayeraccess.org

For immediate release
July 20, 2007

Contact:
Jennifer McLennan
jennifer@arl.org
(202) 296-2296 ext. 121

HOUSE BACKS TAXPAYER-FUNDED RESEARCH ACCESS
Final Appropriations Bill Mandates Free Access to NIH Research Findings

Washington, D.C. =AD July 20, 2007 =AD In what advocates hailed as a=20
major advance for scientific communication, the U.S. House of=20
Representatives yesterday approved a measure directing the=20
National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide free public online=20
access to agency-funded research findings within 12 months of=20
their publication in a peer-reviewed journal. With broad=20
bipartisan support, the House passed the provision as part of the=20
FY2008 Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Bill.

"The House has affirmed the principle that broad sharing of=20
publicly funded research findings on the Internet is an essential=20
component of our nation=B9s investment in science," said Heather=20
Joseph, Executive Director of SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and=20
Academic Resources Coalition), and a leader of the Alliance for=20
Taxpayer Access (ATA). "This action paves the way for all=20
scientists and citizens to access, use, and benefit from the=20
results of publicly funded biomedical research."

"We=B9re pleased by Congress=B9s recognition of the fundamental=20
rationale for public access =AD that better-informed patients,=20
clinicians, and researchers will mean better health outcomes,"=20
said Sharon Terry, President of the Genetic Alliance and an ATA=20
activist. "The time has come to sweep away unnecessary barriers=20
to understanding and treating disease. The Genetic Alliance=20
thanks and congratulates the House of Representatives for taking=20
this vital step."

The current NIH Public Access Policy, implemented in 2005 as a=20
voluntary measure, has resulted in the deposit of less than 5% of=20
eligible research by individual investigators.

In a recent letter to Congress, 26 Nobel Laureates called for=20
enactment of mandatory NIH public access, noting that, "requiring=20
compliance is not a punitive measure, but rather a simple step to=20
ensure that everyone, including scientists themselves, will reap=20
the benefits that public access can provide. We have seen this=20
amply demonstrated in other innovative efforts within the NIH =AD=20
most notably with the database that contains the outcome of the=20
Human Genome Project."

"The coalition of support for the NIH policy is extremely broad,"=20
added Joseph. "This critical step was achieved as a result of the=20
vision and collective effort of patient groups, scientists,=20
researchers, publishers, students, and consumers who registered=20
their support."

A similar measure has been approved by the Senate Appropriations=20
Committee and will be considered by the full Senate later this=20
summer.

###

The Alliance for Taxpayer Access is a coalition of patient,=20
academic, research, and publishing organizations that supports=20
open public access to the results of federally funded research.=20
The Alliance was formed in 2004 to urge that peer-reviewed=20
articles stemming from taxpayer-funded research become fully=20
accessible and available online at no extra cost to the American=20
public. Details on the ATA may be found at=20
<http://www.taxpayeraccess.org>>

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