NEWSROOM CATEGORY:
*Announcements
Science funding slow to come to researchers
Although almost all federal agencies have had approved budgets for Fiscal Year 2026 for more than a month — the Department of Homeland Security being the exception — science agencies have reportedly not been cleared to spend much of the appropriated funding. This has led to delays in universities receiving funding for already-approved grants, and even longer…
STM supports transparency in AI training
STM has expressed support for Congressional efforts to legislate on AI transparency, with several bills proposed to require AI developers to disclose the use of copyrighted material. The TRAIN Act grants rightsholders the ability to petition courts to subpoena developers to release generative AI training data. The CLEAR Act would require generative AI developers to disclose, available via a…
EU Commission releases report on ERA Act consultation
Following the call for evidence on the ERA Act open between 6 August and 10 September 2025, the EU Commission released a summary of stakeholders’ responses. A fragmented copyright landscape, the lack of standardised metadata and interoperable data infrastructures, inequities arising from APCs, dominance of English in scientific publishing, reliance on commercial publishers and restrictive contractual practices…
STM submitted comments on copyright and AI in India
On 6 February, STM finalised its submission to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in response to the Working Paper on Generative Artificial Intelligence and Copyright, which proposed introducing a statutory licensing scheme for AI. Other global and local publishing organisations, as well as additional rightsholders, also made submissions. STM will…
NSF implements immediate public access requirements
On January 22, NSF announced an immediate update to its public access policies in its Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Effective immediately for new “financial assistance awards,” NSF grant recipients are required to deposit an accepted manuscript to the NSF Public Access Repository (PAR) immediately “at or before the time of publication.” On…
STM comments on NSF Strategic Plan
In January, NSF released a draft 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. The draft is briefer and more high-level than previous plans, outlining nine objectives along with high-level strategies to achieve them and measures of success. Of particular interest to STM members, NSF proposes to measure success of the first objective — “Uphold tenets of Gold Standard Science while…
NIH and most science agencies funded for FY2026
On Tuesday, February 3, after a brief partial government shutdown, Congress funded the remaining parts of the government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2026 (with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security). The final bill included funding for NIH and other remaining science agencies. Funding for NIH was increased slightly (~1%), while DOD’s…
OSTP to review potential “repeal” of Nelson Memo
Tucked into the “Joint Explanatory Statement” accompanying the Appropriations “Minibus” passed in January is a non-binding provision requesting that the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) report on the status of a “process of repealing the August 25, 2022, Memorandum to Executive Departments and Agencies entitled, ‘Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access…
Statement on dismissal of Uddin v. Elsevier BV (E.D.N.Y.)
On January 30, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed the antitrust lawsuit in Uddin v. Elsevier BV. Following the court’s decision, we are providing the statement below. Statement: We respect the court’s decision, which is consistent with our position throughout. Our focus, and that of our members, remains…
CLA welcomes new CEO
The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) shared that Simon Hutson has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of CLA. With over 20 years of experience across publishing, media and technology, including leadership roles at the BBC, Reuters and Cision, Hutson brings a powerful blend of commercial insight, strategic innovation and a deep commitment to creators and publishers. Read…