Funder Public Access Policies: Department of Education

The content in this guide is under active review as funding agencies update their Public Access Plans per guidance issued in 2022. The new NIH Public Access Plan is effective as of July 1, 2025, and all other U.S. federal funding agency updated public access policies will be in place by January 1, 2026. However, recent actions by the federal government have created confusion about the implementation of some agency plans, particularly those that have experienced massive reductions in force and are being targeted for closure, including the Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences (IES), which was expected to lead implementation of the Ed Public Access Plan. While the existing draft of that plan remains in place and there appears to be no direct attacks on public access plans, it is unclear when and how Ed will implement its Public Access Policy. Researchers should seek to communicate with the KU Office of Research and with Ed personnel when possible. 

Also a major funder of KU research, the Department of Education never released an agency-wide plan in response to the 2013 OSTP Public Access Memo. However, a major funding sub-department, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has had a "Policy Regarding Public Access to Research" since 2012 that aligns with the White House directive.

The IES Policy states: "Beginning in FY 2012, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) required its grantees to submit their peer-reviewed research publications to the ERIC. Contractors that do not have their results published by IES must also submit any peer-reviewed research publications to ERIC. Investigators are to submit the electronic version of their final manuscripts upon acceptance for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The author's final manuscript is defined as the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all modifications from the peer review process. Posting for public accessibility through ERIC is strongly encouraged as soon as possible but must be within 12 months of the publisher's official date of final publication. Researchers receiving grants or contracts prior to FY 2012 are encouraged, but not required, to submit publications from IES funded grants and contracts to ERIC."

Regarding data, contractors must propose a data management plan at the start of each study. For data collected by the contractor, plans must include which data will be collected, how the data will be stored, the method of sharing, documentation that will be created for the file, and how the researchers will protect the rights and privacy of human subjects at all times.\

In September 2023, IES approved a new Plan for Public Access: Improving Access to Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research. This plan is being evaluated and this page will be updated to reflect new guidance, which is expected to go into effect no later than January 1, 2026.

For assistance with scholarly publication issues, contact Josh Bolick, Head of the Shulenburger Office of Scholarly Communication & Copyright, at jbolick@ku.edu or see the KU Libraries Scholarly Communication Services page.

For assistance with research data management issues, contact Jamene Brooks-Kieffer, Data Services Librarian, at jamenebk@ku.edu or see the KU Libraries Research Data Management page.