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NIH Public Access Policy Grant Compliance (PubMed Central)

A guide to funding agencies' public access policies with tutorials, links, and resources.

NIHMS Approval Process

There are two separate approval steps required in order to complete a manuscript submission:

  • Approve the PDF Receipt (normally done during the initial submission process)
  • Approve the web version (after you have received notification that the final web version is available)

Please note that until both are completed, the manuscript will not be in compliance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Public Access Policy. 

How and When to Approve the Final Web Version of your Manuscript

This task is undertaken by the submitting author when using Submission Method C or D. The submitting author will normally receive an email notification alerting them to log in and approve this version for PubMed Central. It will also appear as "requiring attention" under your Manuscript List. 

Note: your manuscript is not considered in compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy until this step is complete.

NIHMS_test guy

How and When to Approve the PDF Receipt

In most cases a submitter will approve the PDF version of their manuscript during the initial submission process, but if the manuscript is submitted by a third party (such as a publisher in Method D submission or another person on your behalf) you must log in and approve the PDF version before the manuscript can be processed.

NIHMS_test reviewer