The NHMRC have now released their policy as in the first para below, with the additional comment from Miranda Crean below.
In relation to the ARC release and the comments by Arthur/Stevan, the role of the National Scholarly Communication Forum and its Chair, Professor Malcolm Gillies, and the relevant Australian Department of Education, Science and Training officials should also be acknowledged.
The process started with the October 2005 NSCF Forum and dialogue has continued with the ARC, NHMRC and DEST since then. The linkages with the Australian RQF Accessibility Frameworks and the Productivity Commission draft report do indeed lend encouragement, although there are many issues in the academic reward system and scholarly communication frameworks to be addressed. Nonetheless, onwards and upwards!
Colin
..............................................................
National Health and Medical Research Council
16.2 Dissemination of Scientific Results
To maximise the benefits from research, findings need to be disseminated as broadly as possible to allow access by other researchers and the wider community. The NHMRC encourages researchers to consider the benefits of depositing their data and any publications arising from a research project in an appropriate subject and/or institutional repository wherever such a repository is available to the researcher(s). Any research outputs that have been or will be deposited in appropriate repositories should be identified in the Final Report.
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/_files/profundingpol.pdf
******
Miranda Crean from the NHMRC research policy section emailed me on 8 December to say: "The IT system supporting our Final Reports does not currently allow an area for applicants to justify why they will not be despositing. However, once the
new system is up and running (approx. 18 mths) the words "If a researcher is not intending to deposit the data from a project in a repository within a six-month period, he/she should include the reasons in the project's Final Report." will be included in the policy.
The NHMRC and ARC will be issuing a media release based on the wording included in ARC's Funding Rules.
*********
http://www.arc.gov.au/pdf/DP08_FundingRules.pdf
>
>Dissemination of research outputs
>1.4.5.1. The Australian Government makes a major investment in research to
>support its essential role in improving the wellbeing of our society. To
>maximise the benefits from research, findings need to be disseminated as
>broadly as possible to allow access by other researchers and the wider
>community.
>
>1.4.5.2. The ARC acknowledges that researchers take into account a wide
>range of factors in deciding on the best outlets for publications arising
>from their research. Such considerations include the status and reputation
>of a journal or publisher, the peer review process of evaluating their
>research outputs, access by other stakeholders to their work, the likely
>impact of their work on users of research and the further dissemination
>and production of knowledge. Taking heed of these considerations, the ARC
>wants to ensure the widest possible dissemination of the research
>supported under its funding, in the most effective manner and at the
>earliest opportunity.
>
>1.4.5.3. The ARC therefore encourages researchers to consider the benefits
>of depositing their data and any publications arising from a research
>project in an appropriate subject and/or institutional repository wherever
>such a repository is available to the researcher(s). If a researcher is
>not intending to deposit the data from a project in a repository within a
>six-month period, he/she should include the reasons in the project's Final
>Report. Any research outputs that have been or will be deposited in
>appropriate repositories should be identified in the Final Report.
>
.............................................................................................................................
-----Original Message-----
From: American Scientist Open Access Forum
[mailto:AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG]On
Behalf Of Arthur Sale
Sent: Friday, 8 December 2006 3:18 PM
To: AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG
Subject: Re: Australian mandates update
Colin Steele contributed greatly to this result through relentless lobbying,
and this should be acknowledged.
Arthur Sale
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Scientist Open Access Forum
[mailto:AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-
> ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG] On Behalf Of Stevan Harnad
> Sent: Friday, 8 December 2006 12:44 PM
> To: AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG
> Subject: Re: [AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM] Australian mandates
> update
>
> On the good authority of Arthur Sale (and Peter Suber), the classification
> of the ARC policy in ROARMAP has been upgraded to a mandate.
>
> http://www.eprints.org/openaccess/policysignup/
>
> There are now 16 mandates worldwide, 4 of them in Australia: A
> departmental and university-wide one at U. Tasmania, a university-wide one
> at QUT, and a funder mandate at ARC, soon to be joined by another funder
> mandate (NHMRC) and reinforced by the RQF (the Australian counterpart
> of the RAE).
>
> Congratulations to Australia and the Archivangelist of the Antipodes,
> Arthur Sale (and also to Tom Cochrane, Paul Callan and Colin Steele)!
>
--------------------------------------------------------------
Colin Steele
Emeritus Fellow
Copland Building 24
Room G037, Division of Information
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200
Australia
Tel +61 (0)2 612 58983
Email: colin.steele_at_anu.edu.au
University Librarian, Australian National University (1980-2002)
and Director Scholarly Information Strategies (2002-2003)
Received on Sat Dec 09 2006 - 04:46:45 GMT