(5 Jun 2026) Plans to ban US researchers from spending federal grants on open access fees unless requests are signed off by agency officials will do little to reduce publishing costs, experts have warned.
Under proposed rule changes published by the Office of Management and Budget, all journal publication costs – “including page charges, article processing charges (APCs), or similar fees such as open access fees for professional journal publications and other peer-reviewed publications” – will become “unallowable under federal awards”.
Exceptions would be permitted only if requests are approved in advance for a federal funder “on a case-by-case basis” – a move designed to “strengthen stewardship of federal funds”, say the proposed guidelines, which were published quietly, without notice or a press release, on 29 May.
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