loading . . . Next phase of open access at UKRI | UK Research and Innovation Full and immediate Open Access. Since 2022, that has been the UKRI Open Access policy goal for research articles – and together, we’ve made real progress. #OpenAccess (OA) levels for UKRI articles are now around 88%, with steady growth in immediate OA. “Immediate Open Access matters because it allows research to be read, used and built on as quickly as possible. For UKRI, supporting full and immediate OA through routes that are affordable, sustainable and equitable for researchers and research organisations is important too.” said Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Research England Executive Chair and UKRI Champion for Open Research. Despite progress, inequities persist as the transition to full OA is slow. Some routes are less well supported than others, and ongoing cost, cultural and integrity pressures limit overall value. It is for these reasons that UKRI is entering the next phase of policy implementation (2026-30). The policy isn’t changing; we are changing how we support its delivery. We will continue our flexible, multi-route approach to immediate OA. Researchers will still be able to meet the policy requirement through journals, repositories (#GreenOA), and innovative models such as #DiamondOA. There is no single route that works for every discipline or institution, and that flexibility remains central. We are maintaining our investment in OA, including dedicated funding to research organisations which they can use flexibly to support publication and implementation costs, alongside direct support for shared infrastructure and services that benefit the wider system – such as Europe PMC. Working with Jisc and the research sector, transitional agreements have played an important role in increasing OA and managing costs. Building on the progress made, we are now setting out a clear direction for the next stage of the transition. Funding will continue to support transitional agreements, but from 2028/29 UKRI funding will focus on fully OA publishing and will no longer be available for hybrid OA. We will also work in partnership to make targeted investments that strengthen Green OA and repository infrastructure. Recognising that OA relies on resilient and cost-effective digital systems, we’ll collaborate with institutions and other partners to assess the UK’s research repositories and identify opportunities for greater coordination and shared approaches. Our aim is to support more resilient and sustainable UK-wide infrastructure. We recognise that OA transitions affect organisations differently. UKRI will continue to work with the sector, including specialist and lower‑volume research organisations to explore how barriers to OA can be addressed. Our aim remains simple: publicly funded research should be openly available with the minimum possible delay, through routes that work for researchers, institutions, and the wider system. We will continue to engage with the sector and will share more details in the coming months. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/uk-research-innovation_next-phase-of-open-access-at-ukri-activity-7454463005188210688-2nBk
