Open Access News

News from the open access movement


Friday, July 07, 2006

Canadian funding alliance provides OA to the research it funds

The Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance (CBCRA) maintains its own OA repository for CBCRA-funded research. (Thanks to Jim Till.) From the site:
We have created a unique repository of peer-reviewed literature on breast cancer research, research supported by CBCRA. We believe it is the first of its kind, initiated by us because we believe that the public should have free access to research results funded by public agencies....

CBCRA is the primary granting agency for breast cancer research in Canada....To date, CBCRA has allocated $138 million to top-quality breast cancer research in Canada.

Also see the Grant Application Guide (p. 14):

CBCRA is aware of new models for the publication of research results and supports open and unrestricted access to published research in freely-accessible, high-quality scientific journals available via the Internet. Therefore budgets proposed in applications for CBCRA grants may include a line item for the cost of charges, such as article processing fees (APFs), that may be required for open access to publications in such online journals.

Comment. Kudos to the CBCRA. I can't tell whether it requires OA to the research it funds or simply provides OA to as much of it as it can. Either way, it's in very select company. I couldn't find the policy spelled out anywhere at the web site. Am I missing it, or did the CBCRA decide that the policy is so simple and obvious that there is no need to raise grantee anxieties, even to allay publisher anxieties, with legalistic detail on embargoes, permissions, copyright transfer agreements, and mandates? (If anyone knows, please drop me a line.)

Unlike the Wellcome Trust, which is private, and the Research Councils UK, which are public, the CBCRA is an alliance with members on each side of the line. Its motto is: Canada's unique collaboration of public, private and non-profit organizations.