Open access agreement for HHS

If you are a corresponding author affiliated with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), or the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), you may be entitled to publish your article open access (OA) with fees covered.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a transformative agreement (TA) with Springer Nature, meaning that corresponding authors* affiliated with participating institutions are eligible to publish their articles OA with fees covered in hybrid journals across the Springer Nature portfolio. 

In addition, you can enjoy full access to all Springer subscription journal content. Established by HHS, this agreement will run through 31 December 2025. 

Read our new case study: Three US organizations reflect on their transition to open access >>

*Acting as main contact for Springer Nature correspondence after editorial acceptance.

Learn more about your eligibility

Participating institutions
(PDF, 135.17 KB)

Open Access Agreements: What’s the eligibility process?

Participating institutions

C

  • Center for Information Technology (CIT)
  • Center for Scientific Review (CSR)

E

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

F

  • Fogarty International Center (FIC)
  • Food and Drug Administration

N

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
  • National Eye Institute (NEI)
  • National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)


N

  • National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
  • National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
  • National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology
  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)
  • National Institute On Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
  • National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
  • National Library of Medicine (NLM)

Publishing open access in a hybrid journal

Check the list of hybrid journals that are included in the agreement.

Eligible journals
(XLSX, 279.80 KB)

Download the author guide for publishing OA under the agreement.

Author guide
(PDF, 3.03 MB)

Ready to publish?

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FAQs

Who is considered the corresponding author?

The corresponding author is defined as the person who handles the manuscript and correspondence during the publication process – from manuscript correction and proof reading, to handling the revisions and re-submission of revised manuscripts up to the acceptance of the manuscripts. 

The corresponding author has the authority to act on behalf of all co-authors in all matters pertaining to publication of the manuscript including supplementary material. They are also responsible for obtaining such agreements and for informing the co-authors of the manuscript’s status throughout the submission, review and publication process. 

In addition, the corresponding author acts as the point of contact for any enquiries after the paper is published.

How can I make sure my article is eligible?

When you submit, use at least one of the below methods of recognition.

New Content Item

Upon acceptance of your article, you'll also be prompted to provide your institutional affiliation.

How do I know if my article has been approved?

The approval manager at your institution will approve your article's eligibility based on your institutional affiliation, article type and journal name.

Once your article is approved by your institution, you will be notified by email and your article will proceed to publication.

Which article types are covered by this agreement?

  • Original Paper: Standard article, usually presenting new results; articles published under this article type may also be referred to as Original Research, Original Article, Original Paper or Research Paper.
  • Review Paper: Standard article, interpreting previously published results.
  • Brief Communication: Short article submitted for rapid publication that exhibits the same structure as a standard article.
  • Continuing Education: Article forming integral part of further education (usually medical).

What if I'm not covered by the agreement?

There are still plenty of ways to find funding for your article processing charge (APC). Visit our open access funding page to check whether your institution or research funder makes OA funding available.

Who can I contact for more information? 

Please email us at oa.verification@springernature.com if you need further assistance.