In a speech to the delegates gathered at the conference of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Vice President Joe Biden described how the "Cancer Moonshot" - a $1 billion USD initiative - is expected to fuel progress in cancer research.
Notably, Biden suggested a certain sympathy with the goals of open-access publishing and the Open Science Movement.
"Right now, you work for years to come up with a significant breakthrough, and if you do, you get to publish a paper in one of the top journals," he said.
"For anyone to get access to that publication, they have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to subscribe to a single journal. And here’s the kicker — the journal owns the data for a year.
"[American] taxpayers fund $5 billion a year in cancer research every year, but once it’s published, nearly all of that taxpayer-funded research sits behind walls," Biden continued. "Tell me how this is moving the process along more rapidly."
He noted the funding policy of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - "Their policy is crystal clear: The results have to be free and open to anyone from the minute they are published."
It will remain to be seen if this guarded support will be actionable - but it's good to look ahead at the frontiers that may open in the wake of the Moonshot.
ecancermedicalscience is the open-access journal of the OECI and the European Institute of Oncology. We offer a fast and highly visible route to open-access publication, with our unique "Pay What You Can Afford" model. The majority of our authors are supported by our charity.
The World Cancer Declaration recognises that to make major reductions in premature deaths, innovative education and training opportunities for healthcare workers in all disciplines of cancer control need to improve significantly.
ecancer plays a critical part in improving access to education for medical professionals.
Every day we help doctors, nurses, patients and their advocates to further their knowledge and improve the quality of care. Please make a donation to support our ongoing work.
Thank you for your support.