We were joined in this session by Ashley Farley from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who shared insights into the foundation’s Open Access policy. Ashley walked us through how the policy supports transparency, equity, and global access to research funded by the foundation, emphasizing the importance of making knowledge freely and widely available.

Watch the recording

The slides are available at https://africarxiv.ubuntunet.net/handle/1/1589

Related resources

The Gates Foundation Website: https://www.gatesfoundation.org

The Gates Foundation’s Open Access Policy: https://openaccess.gatesfoundation.org/

Speaker’s profile

Ashley Farley is the Program Officer of Knowledge & Research Services at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In this capacity she leads the foundation’s Open Access Policy’s implementation and associated initiatives. This includes leading the work of Gates Open Research, a transparent and revolutionary publishing platform. Much of her work advocates for knowledge to be a global good. She completed her Masters in Library and Information Sciences through the University of Washington’s Information School. She has a deep passion for open access, believing that freely accessible knowledge has the power to improve and save lives.

Questions that were addressed during the session

Can you outline the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Open Access Policy and its key objectives? How does it aim to support global research dissemination?

At the Gates Foundation, we believe that knowledge should be shared as widely and quickly as possible. Our Open Access Policy ensures that any research funded by us — articles, data, underlying materials — is openly accessible immediately upon publication. The goal is to remove barriers so that anyone, anywhere, can benefit from and build upon the research, promoting faster innovation and equitable access across the globe.

What specific opportunities does the Foundation provide for African researchers to access funding and resources for open access publishing? Are there any regional initiatives or partnerships in place?

We provide direct support through grant funding that covers open access publishing fees. We also partner with regional initiatives that advocate for open science in Africa, like AfricArXiv and others. Our approach is collaborative — we work closely with local institutions and networks to ensure African researchers not only publish openly but also have sustainable, long-term support structures.

How does the Foundation ensure that research outcomes and data from projects in Africa are effectively disseminated and accessible to local communities and researchers?

We emphasize the use of open repositories and require that research outputs are made available without delay. We also support platforms and partnerships that prioritize accessibility for local audiences, ensuring that research is not just published but also reachable by policymakers, practitioners, and community members who can benefit from the findings.

Are there specific strategies or programs that African research institutions can engage with to enhance their capacity in open access publishing and data sharing?

Yes! We encourage African institutions to join global and regional open access networks, use open infrastructure, and adopt policies that support openness at an institutional level. Through capacity-building initiatives and collaborative grants, we aim to strengthen African institutions’ ability to manage, publish, and share their research openly and sustainably.

In what ways does the Foundation collaborate with African research organizations and initiatives like AfricArXiv to promote open science and equitable access to research findings across the continent?

Our collaborations are built on trust and mutual goals. We work with platforms like AfricArXiv to increase visibility for African research, support local leadership in open science, and co-create initiatives that reflect African priorities. It’s about enabling African scholars to be fully visible in the global research community while preserving autonomy and fostering equity.

Ways African Researchers and Institutions Can Learn and Benefit from the Session

Understanding the Power of Open Access Policies

African researchers learned how funders’ open access policies can directly impact their ability to share knowledge widely and rapidly. The session clarified how having strong open access mandates behind their work can improve their visibility and ensure broader impact.

Exploring Funding Opportunities for Open Publishing

The webinar highlighted practical ways researchers can leverage Gates Foundation funding for open access publishing, including grants that cover article processing charges and collaborations with African open repositories.

Strengthening Data Sharing and Research Accessibility

Participants learned about strategies to make not only their articles but also their data and supplementary materials openly available, ensuring that their research is reusable and accessible for community use and policymaking.

Building Institutional Capacity for Open Science

The session emphasized how African institutions can work towards setting up or strengthening their own open access policies and infrastructures, allowing researchers to operate within supportive systems that prioritize openness.

Creating Regional and Global Partnerships

Ashley discussed how partnerships like those with AfricArXiv foster stronger regional networks and enable African research to be part of global conversations, encouraging researchers and institutions to seek out and engage in such collaborations.

Promoting Equity in Research Visibility and Impact

The Gates Foundation’s approach underlines that open access is not just about availability but about fairness — giving African scholars an equal seat at the table. Researchers were encouraged to view open science as a path to greater equity, influence, and leadership in the global research landscape.

About the webinar series

This webinar was co-organized by UbuntuNet Alliance and Access 2 Perspectives as part of the ORCID Global Participation Program.

ORCID is the persistent identifier for researchers to share their accomplishments (research articles, data, etc with funding agencies, publishers, data repositories, and other research workflows.

AfricArXiv is a community-led digital archive for African research communication. By enhancing the visibility of African research, we enable discoverability and collaboration opportunities for African scientists on the continent and globally.

Reflection

Disclaimer: LLM-generated

On Thursday, July 18th, 2024, the UbuntuNet Alliance and Access 2 Perspectives hosted an enlightening webinar session as part of the ORCID Global Participation Program. This session focused on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s updated Open Access Policy, which will take effect on January 1, 2025. Guest Speaker Ashley Farley provided valuable insights into the foundation’s strategies and the expected impact of the updated OA policy. Her expertise highlighted the foundation’s dedication to fostering a more equitable and accessible research landscape.

Key Takeaways from the Webinar

1. Evolution of the Open Access Policy: Farley detailed the evolution of the foundation’s Open Access (OA) policy, starting from its inception in 2015 to the upcoming changes in 2025. The policy’s progression reflects a commitment to making research more accessible and equitable.

2. Unrestricted Access and Reuse: The updated policy ensures that all peer-reviewed research funded by the foundation will be available for unrestricted access and reuse. This move aims to enhance the dissemination and impact of research, particularly benefiting vulnerable populations worldwide.

3. Impact on Global Research: By implementing this policy, the Gates Foundation seeks to expand the reach and impact of critical research. The goal is to foster a more inclusive research environment that prioritizes accessibility and equity over traditional prestige and privilege in publishing.

4. The Importance of Preprints: A significant focus was placed on the role of preprints in accelerating research dissemination. Preprints allow researchers to share their findings rapidly, receive community feedback, and build upon each other’s work without the delays of traditional peer review processes.

5. Challenges and Future Directions: Despite significant progress, challenges remain in achieving full OA compliance. The foundation is addressing issues such as the high costs of article processing charges (APCs) and the slow adoption of new OA business models. The upcoming policy changes aim to dismantle these barriers and promote more equitable practices in scholarly publishing.

The webinar underscored the importance of open science and the transformative potential of making research freely accessible. If you missed the live session, you may watch the recording here.

As we look forward to the implementation of the Gates Foundation’s updated OA policy, we encourage the research community to engage with these developments and consider the broader implications for global research equity.

Stay tuned for more discussions in our ongoing Open Science Webinar Series. Register for upcoming sessions and stay informed about the latest updates here: Upcoming Webinars Registration.