RCUK Open Access policy

The RCUK

rcuk.ac.uk/research/openaccess/policy/" target="_self">Open Access policy came into force on 1 April this year. From April 2013, the RCUK have indicated that research papers resulting from research that is wholly or partially funded by the Research Councils:

• Should be published in journals which are compliant with Research Council policy on Open Access
• Must include details of the funding that supported the research, and a statement on how the underlying research materials - such as data, samples or models - can be accessed.

From 1 April 2013, research grant applications will no longer include separate provision for Open Access publication or other publication charges.

The Publications team in UCL Library Services have provided lots of guidance for all UCL researchers on how to meet the demands of the RCUK policy. This guidance can be found here.

It is not an option whether UCL authors comply with the RCUK policy. It is a condition of being funded that the publications resulting from RCUK funding are available in Open Access. The RCUK will begin a rigorous monitoring activity on levels of compliance. It is highly likely that UCL's performance in this monitoring exercise will determine future levels of funding.

The same is true for research funded by the Wellcome Trust. Guidance on the Wellcome Trust's expectations can be found here.

If you are funded by either RCUK or the Wellcome Trust, your funder will expect you to comply with its Open Access policies. If you are in any doubt about what to do, please contact UCL's Open Access team.

Dr Paul Ayris, Director of UCL Library Services & UCL Copyright Officer