Who Should Pay for Publishing Federally Funded Research?
A proposed U.S. OMB regulation would make publication costs unallowable under federal research grants. What does the scientific community think about how research publication should be funded?
On May 29, 2026, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a major revision to the rules governing all U.S. federal grants (full text on the Federal Register). Among its provisions, the rule would make article processing charges (APCs), open access fees, journal subscriptions, and other publication costs unallowable under federal awards unless specifically required by statute or approved case-by-case by the funding agency. For a detailed summary of the broader rule, see this overview from Science/AAAS.
This change raises a structural question that predates the current regulation: who should bear the cost of disseminating publicly funded research? The scientific community has long debated the value proposition of traditional publishing models, the affordability of open access mandates, and the appropriate role of grant funding in supporting publication. This SciPoll asks the SciPinion expert community to weigh in on these questions directly.
All responses are anonymous. Results may be published in aggregate form. Aggregate findings from this SciPoll may be referenced in SciPinion's public comment to OMB on the proposed rule; no individual responses or identifying information will be included. The public comment period closes July 13, 2026 (submit comments on regulations.gov).