WASHINGTON, D.C. (WDNews) – The federal government plans to stop big publishers from overcharging to publish medical and scientific research that’s paid for with taxpayer dollars.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — the nation’s top medical research agency — announced that starting in 2026, it will set a cap on how much publishers can charge scientists to make their studies public.
Right now, some companies charge as much as $13,000 per article—even though the research is already funded by taxpayer money. Some publishers also collect millions more in subscription fees from government agencies like the NIH.
“Creating an open, honest, and transparent research atmosphere is a key part of restoring public trust in public health,” said NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.
The new policy means the public will have better access to important medical research, without having to pay to read it. It’s part of a larger effort by the NIH to make science more transparent and easier to access for everyone—including patients, doctors, and other researchers.
NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and includes 27 centers focused on everything from cancer to rare diseases. It’s the primary agency that funds medical research across the country.
Officials say this change helps ensure that public money is being used in a way that benefits the public—without giving publishers a blank check.
