Australia launches ‘Open Science Policy’ for health research

Data, methods, software, and code should be shared openly.

The Australian Government and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) have launched a new Open Science Policy to make publicly funded health research more accessible and collaborative.

Under the policy, at least one version of any research paper funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) or NHMRC must be openly accessible immediately upon publication without embargo and clearly acknowledge funding sources with unique identifiers to track impact.

The policy also introduces a new compliance route, allowing researchers to post a preprint version online, complementing the existing NHMRC Open Access Policy.

Researchers must also share data and methods openly, respect Indigenous rights, plan for openness from the start, publish both positive and negative results, and make research code available.

While intellectual property remains protected, the policy emphasizes collaboration and transparency, particularly in research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The government said the policy aims to increase collaboration, reduce research waste, and ensure public investment delivers maximum benefit.

It applies to MRFF grants from 1 January 2026 and NHMRC grants from 2 February 2026, with guidelines available on GrantConnect.