Research4life at 25: a founding publisher’s perspective on access, equity and the future of global research
As Research4Life marks its 25th Anniversary in 2026, this milestone invites reflection on how a collaboration originally focused on expanding access has evolved to supporting shared participation in global research.
Among the six original publisher partners that signed the first agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001 was Elsevier. Ylann Schemm, Executive Director of the Elsevier Foundation, who has been collaborating with Research4Life since 2008, reflects on both the partnership’s journey and her own experience witnessing the evolution.
Building an unlikely partnership
“In the early 2000s, Research4Life was a completely unique and visionary opportunity for publishers and UN agencies to respond to unequal access to research infrastructure that was then referred to as the digital divide,” Ylann explains.
Building the collaboration required years of intensive dialogue, governance development, and trust-building across sectors with very different missions and operating models. Diplomacy, goodwill and patience were essential in moving from launch to a sustainable partnership that continues to thrive 25 years later.
Elsevier has been one of many partners contributing to Research4Life from its inception, through content, leadership and funding. Today, the publisher provides approximately 13% of the content available through Research4Life – and over the past two decades, the Elsevier Foundation has contributed more than $800,000 in funds to support training. “At Elsevier, we see participation in Research4Life as part of our broader responsibility to advance geographic research equity. Since launch, we have been a staunch advocate of the power of Research4Life to help address structural barriers to participation in global research and support more inclusive research.”
Adapting to the digital era
When Research4Life began, scholarly publishing was still largely rooted in print but at the same time, the industry was undergoing a major transition from print to electronic publishing. “Elsevier had been among the early innovators in digital publishing, launching ScienceDirect as an online platform for thousands of journals and books. Taking the step to make this digital content available through Research4Life was a natural extension of that innovation journey.”
At the time, debates around Open Access were gaining momentum. Research4Life offered a practical and immediate solution: while not open access in the strict sense, it provided free or low-cost access to researchers in eligible countries. This model enabled institutions to engage more fully in global research and knowledge exchange at a scale that had previously been unimaginable.
What began in 2001 with 1,500 journals has since grown into a partnership providing access to more than 250,000 peer-reviewed resources from over 185 publishers, serving institutions in more than 125 countries. This growth reflects how expectations around access, participation and collaboration in global research have evolved.
Read the full article on Research4Life: “Research4life at 25: a founding publisher’s perspective on access, equity and the future of global research“, Ylann Schemm, 17 March 2026.