NIH Open Access Compliance at Developmental Biology

3/5/2026

Dear SDB Members,

I am writing to clarify how to fully comply with the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy without paying the current $3,910 Article Processing Fee for Open Access for your paper accepted in Developmental Biology.

Attached is a diagram showing the process.

Once you receive the letter of acceptance for your paper in Developmental Biology, upload the accepted and unformatted version of your manuscript to the NIH Manuscript Submission system, NIHMS (nihms.nih.gov).

Select “0 months” for the embargo.

Once approved, you will receive a PCMID number for your manuscript. Your manuscript will then be publicly accessible, satisfying the NIH Public Access Policy requirement.

If you choose the “Open Access” option, you will pay the $3,910 Article Processing Fee. If you choose the “Subscription” option, you do not pay any fee. Developmental Biology has traditionally not charged authors for any fees as it was subsidized by institutional subscriptions. Royalties from Developmental Biology's institutional subscriptions also support SDB’s programs. SDB encourages you to ask your library to subscribe to Developmental Biology. Save your funds and support the SDB, while also fully complying with the NIH Public Access Policy!

Yours truly,

Richard Behringer, PhD
President, Society for Developmental Biology

Last Updated 03/05/2026