Open-access publishing is built on a promise: research funded by the public should be freely available to the public. A sweeping new proposal from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) threatens to break that promise by fundamentally rewriting how federal grants are awarded, managed, and published.

For over 25 years, JMIR Publications has operated on a simple premise: health research should be immediately and freely accessible to all. However, recent policy changes from major funders like Cancer Research UK (CRUK) now threaten to dismantle the very "Full Open Access" model that made this possible. By cutting all APC support, these policies risk stifling independent, scholar-led publishers while leaving the massive revenue streams of legacy publishers untouched. Below, we share our response to CRUK and propose five alternatives that reform the system without sacrificing the progress of the last two decades.

In response to "Is Subscribe to Open Good for Libraries?" Three librarians explain the model’s appeal and explore the challenges it presents. By Laurie Taylor, Miranda Bennett and Katherine Brooks | 02.17.2026

At JMIR Publications, we believe that the true value of scientific discovery lies in its ability to improve lives. Our commitment to Open Access (OA) isn’t just about making papers free to read; it’s about ensuring that your insights reach the people who have the power to implement change—the policymakers.

Group of 25 research funders and publishers collaborate in experimental project to unlock funding information to progress open access