Open Access Week webinar to explore federal public access policy amid shifting landscape
KU Libraries will celebrate International Open Access Week with a virtual webinar featuring Corinna Turbes, Senior Manager of Government Relations at the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CST, Thursday, Oct. 22.
The webinar, "Navigating Uncertainty: Open/Public Access in a Shifting Policy Landscape," will offer an overview of where federal public access policy stands right now, what's on the horizon, and practical strategies researchers and institutions can use today. The session will be held via Zoom and recorded for later viewing.
“Researchers are navigating increasingly complex funder expectations in regards to public access to funded publications and data alongside shifts in scholarly publishing and open access,” Josh Bolick, head of KU Libraries’ Shulenburger Office of Scholarly Communication & Copyright, said. “Proposed changes to how federal funding agencies oversee and administer grants, including eliminating article processing charges (APCs) for open access as allowed expenses only further complicates things. Given the upheaval, a current status as it is, from a well-connected thought leader like Corinna Turbes, will be both interesting and useful to researchers who are adjusting to a rapidly evolving landscape.”
Turbes' session will cover:
- The current state of federal public access requirements for publications and data
- How recent policy shifts affect researchers at all career stages
- What proposed changes to Uniform Guidance mean for grant budgets
- Resources and support available through KU Libraries
SPARC is a global organization working to make openness the default in research and education, advocating for policies and practices that allow everyone to access, contribute to, and benefit from the knowledge research produces. SPARC's advocacy has helped shape major federal public access developments, including the 2022 OSTP guidance directing federal agencies to make publicly funded research freely available.
The event will also mark the announcement of this year's Shulenburger Award for Innovation and Advocacy in Scholarly Communications. Presented yearly by KU Libraries' Shulenburger Office of Scholarly Communication and Copyright and the KU Libraries Dean, the award aims to encourage, honor, and spur additional advocacy for open access efforts.
Turbes joined SPARC in June 2025 as Senior Manager of Government Relations, where she serves as a liaison between SPARC and federal officials, advocating for open research and open education. She previously worked at the Data Foundation in Washington, D.C., advocating for improved access to and responsible use of federal data, and at the Council of Professional Associations for Federal Statistics. In 2024, she was appointed to the Open Government Federal Advisory Committee. Turbes holds a master's degree in public policy and a bachelor's degree in linguistics, both from the University of Minnesota.
Registration is free for the KU community. More information and connections to resources can be found at KU's Open Access website.