Most research funders require you to make your research outputs open access. This means your publications – and sometimes your research data – must be freely available online. Open access research:
- increases the visibility and reach of your work
- supports collaboration and innovation
- ensures that publicly funded research is available to the public
Most major funders – including UKRI, Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK and the European Commission – support open access for these reasons.
You must follow your funder’s open access policy
If your funder requires open access, it will be part of your grant terms and conditions. Your funder will have an open access policy that you must follow. If you do not follow the policy:
- your funder may withhold part of your grant
- you may not be eligible for future funding
- your research may not meet the open access requirements for the next Research Excellence Framework (REF)
Your funder may also require you to share the research data that supports your publication.
Use the JISC tool to find your funder’s policy
You can search for your funder’s open access policy using the Jisc open access policy finder. This tool includes policies for major UK and European research funders. You can also use the JISC tool to find out your publisher's green open access policy.
It is your responsibility to understand your funder’s open access requirements and how to meet them.
Further help and support
If you have questions, or need help finding your funder's policy, please contact the Open Access team.