Federal Research Public Access Act (HR 5037)

The Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) was introduced in the House on April 15, 2010 (HR 5037).

This bill would ensure free, timely, online access to the published results of research funded by eleven U.S. federal agencies. It would specifically require those with annual extramural research budgets of $100 million or more to provide the public with online access to research manuscripts stemming from such funding no later than six months after publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

FRPAA reflects the growing trend among funding agencies – and college and university campuses – to leverage their investment in the conduct of research by maximizing the dissemination of results. It follows the successful path forged by the NIH’s Public Access Policy, as well as by private funders like the Wellcome Trust and campuses such as Harvard, MIT, and the University of Kansas.

If you would like to express support for FRPAA, or would like to learn more, please see: http://www.taxpayeraccess.org/frpaa.

Submitted by the Emory Libraries IP Rights Office