We continue to support UKRI’s open access policy, which will see all peer-reviewed research articles resulting from its funding made universally and freely accessible to people everywhere from today. The spirit of Plan S and the open access movement continue to make progress. UKRI should be commended for its position and support of open access’s original model.

Barriers to research by way of expensive paywalls impair scientific discovery. The rapid and free dissemination of research and data around COVID-19 resulted in the fastest vaccine development in human history. The same dynamic of international collaboration must be extended to all research on all critical societal challenges, such as cancer and climate change.

UKRI’s policy is simple, effective and enforceable; and it provides a framework for scientific publishing that addresses the urgency of the challenges that confront society.  We can be optimistic that this policy will reinforce the growing call – by the Plan S signatories and others – to combat the efforts of subscription publishers to indefinitely extend the harmful status quo of paywalled access to knowledge, for example through the use of commercial tactics such as “transformative agreements."

Dr. Frederick Fenter, chief executive editor, Frontiers

ENDS.

Frontiers is the 3rd most-cited and 9th largest research publisher and we publish groundbreaking discoveries by the world’s top experts. Scientists empower society and our mission is to accelerate scientific discovery by making science open. We place the researcher at the center of everything we do and enable the research community to develop the solutions we need to live healthy lives on a healthy planet.

Featuring custom-built technology, artificial intelligence, and rigorous quality standards, our research articles have been viewed more than 1.6 billion times, reflecting the power of research that is open for all. For more information, visit http://www.frontiersin.org