OPINION: We the taxpayers pay for research – it belongs to us
Taxpayers will no longer have to shell out extra money to read the research they pay for, under a new National Institutes of Health policy.
As of July 1, all studies paid for by taxpayers will be immediately made available without a paywall once they are published in a journal, according to NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya (pictured, left).
“This date was moved up from December 31, 2025, to ensure radical transparency regarding the research NIH supports,” the agency announced on X. Previously, studies could be delayed for up to a year from being freely available.
“Since the release of NIH’s 2008 Public Access Policy, more than 1.5 million articles reporting on NIH-supported research have been made freely available to the public through PubMed Central,” the agency stated. The new policy removes “the embargo period so that researchers, students, and members of the public have rapid access to these findings.”
The change is not just a positive step for transparency in science but also fulfills a general principle: the taxpayers should have free access to the research they pay for.
Some in the scientific community seem to have a misunderstanding of this concept – they believe that the results should only be available within their inner circles and when politically advantageous.
Consider Johanna Olson-Kennedy. She received $10 million from taxpayers for a study on transgender puberty blockers but delayed releasing the results because she feared they would be “weaponized.” The results showed puberty blockers did not improve mental health outcomes in gender-confused teens.
But regardless of what Olson-Kennedy found, the results belong to us, the taxpayers. After all, if the NIH, or any other government entity, has decided an issue is worth researching for the public benefit, then it should be available to the public. The only exception might be when there are national security issues at play.
Under President Donald Trump and his administration, the scientific community is correctly being put in its place. Wild, DEI studies will no longer be tolerated, and instead actual scientific research that benefits the public will be prioritized. Much like how Trump is fighting for the civil rights of all Americans by investigating discriminatory college programs, he is also standing up for scientific integrity.
“The Science” has lost credibility due to the clear political agenda of our so-called experts, who claimed mass gatherings were dangerous for, well, Mass, but not for Black Lives Matter rallies. “The Science” also claims that boys can become girls by taking enough drugs and chopping off their testicles.
Thankfully, Trump is fighting for the truth and integrity. This change by the NIH is a positive sign that normalcy is returning to America.
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IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and President Donald Trump; NIH Image Gallery/Flickr; Shealah Craighhead/For the White House