ORFG Funder Policy Landscape Report and Recommendations: 2026

The Open Research Funders Group (ORFG) analyzed philanthropic funders' access-to-research policies to understand the current landscape of open research outputs and practices.

The analysis of 39 funders found that policies are increasingly trending toward requiring open outputs rather than just recommending them, with a significant increase in the adoption of open article requirements (up to 76%) and preprint requirements.

While data deposition is a common requirement, policies concerning data management plans, FAIR standards, and the use of persistent identifiers (PIDs) lag behind.

To support the open research ecosystem, the report recommends five key actions:

1. Eliminate embargo periods.
2. Partnering with open infrastructure providers.
3. Expand data management plan requirements and support existing data principles and practices.
4. Strategically accelerate preprint adoption.
5. Develop incentives to complement policy requirements.