The Canadian Tri-Agency Policy on Open Access Publications

In February 2015, the new Canadian Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications was announced.

Although the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) has had an open access policy since 2008, it wasn't until this annoucement that all three of the primary research funding bodies in Canada – CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC – implemented a harmonized open access policy.

What It Means

• Anyone who has received Tri-Agency funding from May 1, 2015 onward is required to have their research available in some open access format within 12 months of publication.
• Open access can be achieved either by gold/hybrid open access (the article is open at the point of publication) or via green open access (the article is deposited into a subject or institutional repository).
• The open access version must be, at least, a post-print.
• Article processing charges (APCs), if required for making the article open, are now considered eligible expenses by all three funders.

The Tri-Agency's FAQ is an excellent place to get useful information and some specific clarification about this policy.