For steps, tips and resources for complying with the NIH Public Access Policy while taking advantage of open access options, view the SPARC guide and expand each section https://sparcopen.org/our-work/guide-for-authors-complying-with-policies/

1. Prior to Applying for Federal Funding: Understand your funder(s)’ requirements, Consider publishing costs
2. Before Submitting a Federally Funded Manuscript to a Journal: Understand your funder(s)’ requirements, Know your rights as a recipient of federal funding, Consider retaining rights to your article, Review policies of target journals, Understand what options are available for covering publishing costs, if needed
3. Upon Acceptance of a Federally Funded Manuscript by a Journal: Review publisher’s manuscript deposit policies, Respond to publishing fee requests - See in particular advice about what to do with click-through licenses. “If you’re finalizing the publication and there is a click through screen asking you if the publication is federally funded (which will then require payment), you can stop the process there and contact the journal/publisher.”
4. Longer-Term Options and Opportunities for Institutional Change: Discuss within your institution, Discuss with publishing community

Authors should work with publishers before signing Copyright Transfer Agreements, Author Agreements, or other contracts concerning copyright licenses. 

NIH Policy guidance suggests that authors include this sample language as an acknowledgement in their Submitted Manuscript.

"This manuscript is the result of funding in whole or in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is subject to the NIH Public Access Policy. Through acceptance of this federal funding, NIH has been given a right to make this manuscript publicly available PubMed Central upon the Official Date of Publication, as defined by NIH." 

Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy: Government Use License and Rights

For an overview of Open Access Publishing, please see the UVM Libraries guide What is OA

Making an article accessible through Open Access ensures compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy. UVM researchers have several options.

• JISC Open Policy Finder is a database of journal open access policies. A surprising number of journals allow authors to post the Author Accepted Manuscript in PubMed Central without charge and without embargo. Search Open Policy Finder to determine whether the target journal you have in mind offers this option. Look for an Option with no embargo that does not specify fees and that addresses the Accepted version of the article. When you've found a good candidate, check the journal's website for the most current information. They may use the term green OA or refer to self-archiving.
• UVM Supports for Open Access describes publisher agreements that the UVM Libraries has entered into to reduce or eliminate Author Processing Charges for some journals that charge these fees.
• NIH Public Access Policy: Publication Costs states that publication costs such as open access APCs may be paid out of grant funds.

Note: Public Access and Open Access are not identical. The NIH Public Access Policy is designed to improve transparency and access to taxpayer-funded research, while Open Access includes not just the right to read ("access") this research, but can also include rights to reuse, adapt, and build upon the material, so long as the original authors are cited.

Open Access rights can be conveyed through Creative Commons licenses, such as CC BY. NIH Public Access Policy compliance neither requires nor forbids use of a Creative Commons license.

Corresponding authors routinely use their ORCID iDs when submitting manuscripts to journal publishers. The corresponding author should also provide ORCID iDs for all co-authors. In 2025 an ORCID iD will be required for all researchers applying for federal funding,

ORCID iDs must be connected with the researcher's institution. Visit ORCID at UVM to establish an official connection between your ORCID iD and UVM, if you have not already done so.