The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is pleased to be part of the HELIOS (Higher Education Leadership Initiative for Open Scholarship) initiative. Along with other colleges and universities, Illinois is committed to advancing Open Scholarship and promoting a more transparent, inclusive, and trustworthy research ecosystem.

HELIOS includes members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Higher education leaders affiliated with NASEM came together to ensure that open practices are applied throughout the teaching, learning, research, and scholarly environment in the best interest of the public and universities.

“HELIOS has grown out of a recognition that our universities must engage with the world, and an appreciation of the importance of the public’s access to our research,” said University Librarian and Dean of Libraries John P. Wilkin. “I am happy to serve as a representative to HELIOS on behalf of Illinois.”

Although the HELIOS effort pre-dates the new White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announcement on August 25, 2022, the updated OSTP guidance makes the work of HELIOS especially timely. New requirements will apply to all federal agencies, requiring federally-funded research be made openly available to the public.

“Illinois is fortunate to have a head start on addressing these new requirements,” Wilkin said. “Support structures are already in place and we have negotiated several key agreements to ensure that Illinois faculty will be able to publish much of their research Open Access at no cost to them.”

The University Library at Illinois, with support from Chancellor Robert J. Jones, launched a new website detailing the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s participation in HELIOS. The site will also include any HELIOS updates and activities. Visit library.illinois.edu/helios/.