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Today marks the end of another Open Access Week. Throughout the week we have been in discussion with our various partners about what open access means to them. We end the week by talking to Jennifer Hansen, Senior Program Officer & Ashley Farley, Associate Program Officer from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation who work on Gates Open Research and the foundation’s open access program.

Jennifer and Ashley talk about why the Gates Foundation believes open access to its funded research is vital to achieving their mission.

In line with this year’s theme, can you please complete this sentence: “Open in order to…”?

Reduce inequity, empower the poorest, combat infectious diseases, and save lives

Why is open access important to the Gates Foundation?

Immediately available to everyone, everywhere, without restrictions.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation believes that the published research it supports should be immediately available to everyone, everywhere, without restrictions. Prompt dissemination of foundation funded research is crucial for accelerating innovation as we work to reduce inequity and create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life.

The fields in which the foundation invests and in the countries where it partners, knowledge is extraordinarily powerful. Easy, open access to it will help save more lives and create a better future for more people more quickly.

What does Gates hope to achieve through open access?

The vision for open access publishing is a rapid and free exchange of ideas that moves humanity forward.

Open access publishing of peer-reviewed research holds the potential for researchers from diverse backgrounds to come together and accelerate the research process — and in turn, leads to new ways of making people’s lives longer, healthier and more productive. The vision for open access publishing is a rapid and free exchange of ideas that moves humanity forward.

Who do you think benefits most from open access?

We believe that everyone benefits from open access to knowledge. Solving the world’s complex problems will require the collaboration of many partners. Sharing knowledge freely leads to more innovation, more impact, and more lives saved.