News: Academic Publishing Weekly

NIH funding lags, university presses share Iran reading lists, and understanding open source research software (OSRS)

Posted on March 27, 2026 in News

NIH Way Behind in FY26 Grant Funding

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is halfway through its fiscal year and so far has only distributed about 15 percent of its research funding, according to a report from Inside Higher Ed. The reporting is based an analysis by the Association of American Medical Colleges, which reveals that about $5.8 billion of the $38 billion available for distribution has been committed to institutions. This sets up a scenario where the agency will have to rapidly award the remaining grants during the second half of the fiscal year—a pattern that disrupts institutional budgeting and tends to result in fewer new grants. Further, a study by the Association of American Universities (AAU) notes that the “dramatic” slowdown in NIH funding creates a worrisome domino effect. “Without NIH grants, researchers trying to develop new treatments and cures for patients could be forced to cut lab spending; pause hiring; or layoff students, staff, or trainees,” says the AAU. “Even minor delays in grant funding can compromise ongoing research and wreak havoc on long-term innovation.”

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New Developments in Research Distribution and Impact

A job posting in early March looking for a CEO for arXiv alerted the science community to news that Cornell University will no longer be hosting the free platform for open research. The job ad, and a report from Science, note that the transition will open up new financing opportunities and faster infrastructure improvements (hint: dealing with increasing preprint volume and the rising tide of AI slop). “This exciting transition will allow for faster technological development, greater organizational flexibility, expanded partnerships, and long-term financial sustainability,” says the ad. According to Science, Cornell, arXiv leadership, and donors “agreed that spinning it off was the best way to diversify and increase its funding.”

Digital Science, maker of Altmetric and Figshare, among others, announced a new service offering called Altmetric Attention Digest. Designed to work with research engagement tracker Altmetric Explorer, Attention Digest uses AI to take reach measurement one step further by turning metrics data into a narrative-based summary of insights. “The new Altmetric Attention Digest leverages artificial intelligence to cut through data complexity, offering instant, comprehensive insights that empower users to understand the impact of research at a glance, gain strategic insights and make smarter decisions,” says Miguel Garcia, VP of Product at Digital Science, in a statement.

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Partnerships Roundup

ResearchGate continues to expand its Journal Home content platform, this time with an upgraded partnership with Cambridge University Press (CUP). The publisher is increasing its participation to 29 journals after a successful first year. CUP also decided to add on ResearchGate’s Community Engagement Upgrade, which allows for enhanced audience insights, more targeted article exposure, and more tools for journal editors. Speaking of Cambridge, Taylor & Francis announced that 11,000 ebooks from Cambridge Scholars Publishing (no affiliation to CUP) are now available on its ebooks platform. The 25-year-old, independent academic publisher specializes in monographs, edited collections, and thesis-based works across disciplines including the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, and health and physical sciences.

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Report Time: Open Source Research Software and AI Tools in Library Workflows

Ithaka S+R published a new report based on a summer 2025 workshop, “Sustaining Open Source Software in the Research Enterprise” (SOSSRE). The workshop aimed to address the difficulty in centralizing and sharing open source research software (OSRS) between researchers and across universities. The report underscores the utility of OSRS within the open science mission and outlines key challenges, opportunities, and policy recommendations for funders and institutions. Speaking of reports, Clarivate released an Academic AI Impact study, which “examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping core workflows in academic libraries and delivering tangible operational benefits.” Looking at its AI tools Leganto Syllabus Assistant and Alma AI Metadata Assistant, the study showed an overall decrease “in time spent on repetitive, manual tasks” and a “2–4 times increase in workflow capacity without additional staffing.” You can find the study’s summary, insights, methodology, and more here.

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Awards News and Reading Lists on Iran

The Association of University Presses (AUPresses) shared “Essential Reading for Understanding the War in Iran” on its Digital Digest blog. The post collects reading lists and individual sources from over 20 member presses for “all who seek context for the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and responses throughout the Middle East.” Next, against the backdrop of increasing discussion around AI and peer review, IOP Publishing (IOPP) shared the winners of its Outstanding Reviewer Awards. Narrowed down from 35,000 reviewers who submitted reports for IOPP journals, the awards highlight “exceptional” peer reviewers, who this year hail from more than 70 countries. Find the 2025 winners list here. Finally, the Women’s Prize Trust shared the shortlist for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Nonfiction. A six-title list, the books explore “themes of migration, conflict and othering, to creativity, wellbeing, and connection.” The winner will be announced on June 11 in London.

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Open Access News: Diamond OA and Open Ebooks

In a move to make open ebooks more accessible, Paradigm and Lyrasis announced that its University Press Library Open (UPLOpen) collection will be available on mobile devices via The Palace Project app. Allowing libraries to streamline access to open materials, the move grants users the ability to “easily access library ebooks and audiobooks from multiple academic and trade providers in a single, user-friendly platform.” As Lyrasis and Paradigm note, the decision supports their goal to encourage OA publication and support student learning. Next, Taylor & Francis secured new agreements with Jisc under its diamond open access model, “enabl[ing] six additional journals to transition to open access for their 2026 volumes.” Supporting Humanities and Social Sciences journals, the Collective Pathway to Open Publishing (CPOP) relies on collective support and requires no article publishing charges. The six journals—all based in the United Kingdom or Australasia—include topics on archaeology, British history, theater studies, and more.

Independent Press Top 5 Bestsellers: Nonfiction
The American Booksellers Association and the Independent Publishers Caucus recently collaborated on an independent bestsellers list, which includes books from independent presses and sold in indie bookshops. Below are the top five nonfiction titles this week. Find this week’s full list of fiction and nonfiction independent bestsellers.

1. The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon (Liveright)
2. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Milkweed Editions)
3. The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change by Rebecca Solnit (Haymarket Books)
4. Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) by Dean Spade (Verso)
5. The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary by Terry Tempest Williams (Grove Press)

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