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Openness in Research and Publications Restrictions

Learn about U-M’s policy for open scholarly exchange and the process for addressing publications restrictions requested by sponsors.

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As a public institution, the University of Michigan’s mission is to generate and disseminate knowledge in the public interest for open scholarly exchange and academic freedom.

What is openness in research?

The principles of open scholarly exchange and academic freedom are integral to U-M’s mission. These principles are referred to as “Openness in Research” and are set forth by the Regents’ policy, under the Standard Practice Guide (SPG 303.01). It ensures (in part) that U-M:

  • Reserves the right to publish and disseminate information resulting from sponsored research
  • Can maintain the confidentiality of the sponsor’s confidential information, when necessary
  • Does not conduct research that restricts the freedom to disclose the existence of the agreement

What are publication restrictions?

Sometimes a sponsor requests a publication restriction — such as a delay (of more than 180 days), or the sponsor may request for prior approval of a research publication. When such a restriction is requested, it must be approved by the vice president for research via an Agreement Acceptance Request (AAR). 

What are the steps needed to address restrictions?

Publication restrictions are approved on a case-by-case basis using the AAR process via the eResearch Proposal Management System (eRPM). 

The basic steps for completing an AAR for a publication restriction are:

  1. An ORSP officer initiates the AAR in eRPM. The AAR then appears in the project team’s eRPM work queue.
  2. The project team/principal investigator (PI) completes and uploads to the AAR a Request for Approval of Publication Restrictions – Project Team Impact.
  3. The PI, department chair and dean (or research associate dean) approve or decline the AAR, in that order. If a delegate of the chair or dean (or research associate dean) approves the AAR, the delegate must provide evidence of the chair or dean’s (or research associate dean’s) approval (typically as an uploaded document.)
  4. ORSP reviews the AAR and forwards it to the U-M Office of Research.
  5. The vice president for research (or his/her delegate) gives final approval of the publication restriction.

For advice and guidance on the preparation of an AAR, contact an ORSP officer.

If you have OVPR/UMOR status questions on tracking an already-submitted Publication Restriction Project Team Impact Form, contact [email protected].