Publication Accessibility and Managing Rights

The USDOT requires that PacTrans make available the final accepted content of any publication (final project technical report, journal article, etc.) that has resulted from PacTrans-funded research. Per the “Managing Rights” page on the National Transportation Library:

“With the implementation of the DOT Public Access Plans, terms and conditions for all DOT funding [and therefore UTC funding] agreements require:

  1. Immediate grant of a comprehensive non-exclusive, paid-up, royalty-free copyright license to the DOT and
  2. Submission of any publications to the NTL digital repository.

Per the terms and conditions, funded institutions will grant DOT a non-exclusive license for anything copyrightable created under the funding agreement. The license must include “all rights under copyright,” including, but not limited to:

  • Right to copy;
  • Right to distribute;
  • Right to prepare derivative works;
  • Right to display; and
  • Right to perform in public.

Principal Investigators must ensure that all rights under copyright are non-exclusively retained by DOT and that the terms and conditions of publication to peer-reviewed journals and other outlets do not impair the obligation of the authors to comply with the DOT Public Access Plan.”

At the investigators request, PacTrans staff can request a 12-month embargo from the date of publication. If a specific journal or other publication objects to these requirements, please email us at pactrans@uw.edu with the name of the publication and contact information so that it can be reported to the appropriate people at DOT.