Australia Pushes Open Science to Boost Collaboration in Health Research- The Australian Government, together with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), has unveiled a sweeping new Open Science Policy aimed at transforming how publicly funded health and medical research is shared, scrutinised, and reused.
The policy marks a significant shift toward transparency and collaboration, requiring that research funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and the NHMRC be made openly accessible immediately upon publication. By removing embargo periods and expanding data-sharing obligations, the government is signalling that publicly funded science should function as a public good — accessible not only to academics, but to clinicians, industry, policymakers, and the wider community.
Immediate open access becomes the default
At the core of the new policy is a clear mandate: at least one version of any peer-reviewed research paper arising from MRFF or NHMRC funding must be freely available online as soon as it is published. This can be achieved either through open-access journals or by depositing an accepted manuscript in an institutional or subject-based repository.
Importantly, the policy introduces a new compliance pathway by formally allowing researchers to post preprint versions of their work online. This complements the existing NHMRC Open Access Policy and reflects the growing acceptance of preprints as a way to accelerate knowledge sharing, particularly in fast-moving areas such as medical and public health research.
All publications must also clearly acknowledge their funding sources using unique identifiers, enabling better tracking of research outputs and their downstream impact. This requirement aligns with international efforts to improve research transparency and accountability.
Beyond papers: data, methods, and code
The policy extends well beyond journal articles. Researchers will now be expected to share underlying data, methods, and research code openly wherever possible. The aim is to improve reproducibility, enable secondary analyses, and reduce duplication — a longstanding concern in health and medical research.
To support this, researchers must plan for openness from the outset of their projects, embedding data management and sharing strategies into grant applications and research workflows. The policy also encourages the publication of both positive and negative results, a move designed to address publication bias and reduce wasted effort chasing findings that never existed.
While intellectual property protections remain in place, the policy makes clear that commercial considerations should not be used as a default justification for limiting access. Instead, researchers are encouraged to balance innovation, collaboration, and public benefit.
Respecting Indigenous data sovereignty
A notable feature of the policy is its explicit focus on research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. While promoting openness, the policy recognises the importance of Indigenous data sovereignty and cultural governance.
Researchers must ensure that data sharing respects Indigenous rights, community consent, and culturally appropriate use. This reflects a growing recognition that open science principles must be applied thoughtfully and ethically, particularly when working with communities that have historically experienced extractive research practices.
A bid to reduce waste and boost collaboration
According to the government, the Open Science Policy is designed to increase collaboration across the health and medical research ecosystem, both domestically and internationally. By lowering barriers to access, policymakers argue the policy will help researchers build on each other’s work more efficiently, reduce duplication, and accelerate translation from lab to clinic.
Research waste — including unpublished studies, inaccessible data, and irreproducible findings — has long been a concern for funders. With billions of dollars invested through the MRFF and NHMRC, the government says the new policy will help ensure public funds deliver maximum social and economic benefit.
What researchers need to know
The policy will apply to MRFF grants awarded from 1 January 2026 and NHMRC grants awarded from 2 February 2026. Detailed guidelines and compliance information have been published on GrantConnect, giving institutions and researchers time to update policies, infrastructure, and training.
While many Australian universities and research organisations already support open access, the new requirements are likely to increase administrative and technical demands, particularly around data management and long-term storage. However, proponents argue these costs are outweighed by gains in efficiency, trust, and impact.
A signal of where science is heading
Australia’s move mirrors a broader global trend toward open science, with major funders increasingly tying grants to openness and transparency. For researchers, the policy represents both a cultural and practical shift — one that prioritises sharing over siloing and collaboration over competition.
For the public, it promises greater access to the research they help fund, along with clearer evidence that investment in science is delivering real-world benefits. As the policy comes into force, its success will depend not just on compliance, but on how fully openness is embraced as a core value of Australia’s research system.
