NIH Public Access Policy Notice and Manuscript Submission FAQs Posted
A notice on implementation of the NIH Public Access Policy has been posted. NIH Guide: "Implementation of Policy on Enhancing Public Access to Archived Publications Resulting from NIH-Funded Research" (NOT-OD-05-045).
<http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-05-045.html>.
The notice summarizes the previously announced policy, introduces the NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) system, and briefly describes how to submit a manuscript. An FAQ on NIHMS is available at <http://nihms.nih.gov/faq.html>.
Here are a few highlights of the notice:
* "NIH expects that only in limited cases will authors deem it necessary to select the longest delay period" (i.e., 12 months).
* The secure submission system "allows easy identification of NIH grant numbers (past and present)."
* "Manuscript files from extramural PIs may be submitted by the PI only. Beginning July 6, 2005, manuscript files may be submitted to the NIHMS system by either the extramural PI or a third party on the PI’s behalf (e.g., administrative personnel, graduate students, librarians, publishers, etc.)."
* "…procedures for batch processing of multiple submissions [e.g., by publishers or libraries, I presume] are being explored and may be developed in the future."
* For submission, NIH extramural investigators must use their "eRA Commons" account. "NIH eRA Commons is a system developed to facilitate the discrete exchange of essential information between NIH and applicant organizations. The ‘Commons’ is a Web interface, available at <https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/>, where NIH and the grantee community are able to conduct their extramural research administration business electronically."
* NIH "maintains a help desk to assist users with manuscript submissions and answers to any questions related to the submission process. Contact <http://web.nihms.nih.gov/db/sub.cgi?page=email&from=home> the help desk with your queries."
[email from Rick Johnson, Executive Director of SPARC, to SPARC Members, April 30, 2005]
