Resolution Criteria

This market will resolve to "Yes" if, by December 31, 2025, all federal agencies have implemented public access policies in accordance with the Nelson Memo's directives. Verification will be based on official publications from federal agencies and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

Background

The Nelson Memo, issued by OSTP on August 25, 2022, mandates that all federal agencies develop and implement policies ensuring free, immediate, and equitable access to federally funded research. This includes making peer-reviewed publications and associated scientific data publicly accessible without embargoes. Agencies were required to publish their updated policies by December 31, 2024, with full implementation by December 31, 2025. (cshl.libguides.com)

Considerations

While the Nelson Memo sets clear deadlines, the actual implementation may vary among agencies. Some agencies have faced challenges in meeting these requirements, and there have been legislative efforts to delay or modify the memo's directives, particularly with regard to the data sharing requirement.(scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org)

A policy that only requires depositing manuscripts and not data will not be sufficient, but I'm open to arguments about a partial resolution in that case.