NIH to Require Common Form on January 25, 2026

This message is from Brian Collier, Director of Science and Security in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.

Starting January 25, 2026, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will require use of the common form for the Biographical Sketch (Biosketch) and Current and Pending (Other) Support components of grant applications. This change is driven by National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33), a directive from the federal government to align the disclosure requirements in research proposals.

The NIH has provided information on how investigators can prepare and Frequently Accessed Questions. Of particular note, senior and key personnel will need to:

• Input their ORCiD on their application and
• Use SciENcv to generate their Biosketch and Other Support forms.
• Certify they are not recipients of malign foreign talent recruitment programs.

Note: NIH will enforce the use of the Common Forms via eRA system validations immediately as a warning when the wrong form is used. By February 6, 2026, the warning will be elevated into an error preventing submission of the incorrect or uncertified forms.

Researchers may also link their ORCiD with UNC Research Information Systems.

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research is committed to providing resources to faciliate this transation, and additional resources will be available soon. Stay up-to-date with the Other Support and Biosketch webpage for additional resources in 2026 and with the RAISE webpage in School of Medicine.

For questions, please contact [email protected].

NIH Timeframe Guidance

Please view the guidance below adapted from NOT-OD-26-018.

Submission scenario:	You must use:
Application submission: For due dates on or before January 24, 2026	The NIH Biosketch and Other Support format pages.
Application submission: For due dates on or after January 25, 2026 All other applications submitted on or after January 25, 2026 under the “NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications” 2-week window of consideration, and NIH applications submitted under the NIH Continuous Submission Policy.	The Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement.
RPPR, JIT, or Prior approval request submission: for due dates on or before January 24, 2026	The NIH Biosketch and Other Support format pages.
RPPR, JIT, or Prior approval request submission: for due dates on or after January 25, 2026	The Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement.