Nobel Prize-winning scientists support online access to federally funded research results to spur innovation

Last week, 41 Nobel-Prize winning scientists issued an open letter to Congress, calling on lawmakers to ensure that the results of scientific research conducted using taxpayer dollars be put online, and made accessible to and useable by the public.  As extraordinary as it seems, at a time when you can get information on just about anything on the Internet, the results of our substantial national investment in science – over $60 billion per year – are not readily accessible to those who paid for it. 

“For America to obtain an optimal return on our investment in science, publicly funded research must be shared as broadly as possible,” the Nobelists declare.  The letter marks the fourth time in five years that leading scientists have called on Congress to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities that the Internet has created to allow science to be conducted -- and results shared -- in new and innovative ways.

The Nobelists are urging Congress to support a bipartisan bill, The Federal Research Public Access Act of 2009 (S. 1373), introduced by Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and John Cornyn (R-TX), which would require the results of taxpayer-funded scientific research to be broadly and quickly shared, speeding the progress of science and its subsequent benefits to the public.  S.1373 would ensure that articles describing the results of research conducted at the 11 departments and agencies that spend more than $100 million on research each year be made publicly available online within six months of publication.  

The removal of access barriers and the expanded use of these research results can dramatically transform how scientists and citizens approach issues of vital importance to the public, such as medicine, climate change, and sustainable energy solutions.  It is a crucial building block in laying a strong national foundation to support accelerated discovery and innovation, which will in turn create economic and social benefits for the taxpayers who supported the research.

S.1373 encourages broader participation in the scientific process by providing equitable access to high-quality research results, empowering the public to become engaged in citizen science efforts and equipping entrepreneurs and small business owners with the latest research developments, allowing us to more effectively compete in the development of new technologies and innovations.  The bill is widely supported by scientists, higher education institutions, students, consumer groups, patient advocacy groups and members of the public.

The full text of the Nobelists’ letter and more information on S.1373 can be found at: http://www.taxpayeraccess.org/frpaa.

Heather Joseph is Spokesperson for the Alliance for Taxpayer Access, a coalition of advocacy, academic, research, and publishing organizations that supports open public access to the results of federally funded research. The Alliance is online at http://www.taxpayeraccess.org.