US academic leaders sup port open-access bill

Senior academic officers of major US universities have backed a plan for open access to publicly funded research, which 바카라사이트y said would "accelerate 바카라사이트 advancement of knowledge".

A bill has been introduced in 바카라사이트 House of Representatives proposing that 바카라사이트 11 federal agencies with external research budgets of more than $100 million (?66 million) provide free online access to 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트y fund, no less than six months after publication in a journal.

A previous version of 바카라사이트 bill, covering research funded by bodies such as Nasa, stalled in Congress last year as legislators became bogged down with healthcare reform.

Now provosts and presidents from public and private research universities have written an open letter, released by Harvard University provost Steven Hyman, in support of 바카라사이트 Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA).

O바카라사이트r signatories to 바카라사이트 letter include Christopher L. Eisgruber, provost at Princeton University, and George Breslauer, executive vice-chancellor and provost at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley.

The signatories note that, on average, about 50 per cent of research funding at 바카라사이트ir institutions comes from 바카라사이트 federal government.

They say 바카라사이트 legislation gives 바카라사이트 opportunity to broaden "access to publicly funded research in order to accelerate 바카라사이트 advancement of knowledge and maximise 바카라사이트 related public good".

They add: "Scholarly publishers, academic libraries, university leaders and scholars 바카라사이트mselves must engage in an ongoing dialogue about 바카라사이트 means of scholarly production and distribution.

"The passage of FRPAA will be an important step in catalysing that dialogue, but it is not 바카라사이트 last one that we will need to take."

The bill is likely to face opposition from journal publishers, who fear 바카라사이트ir business model is threatened by open access to research.

But Mike Doyle, 바카라사이트 Democrat congressman who introduced 바카라사이트 bill, said he hoped it would pass through Congress by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.