For Investigators

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is transitioning to a standardized set of disclosure forms, known as Common Forms, to align with federal-wide requirements for research security and transparency. These changes significantly impact how researchers prepare their Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending (Other) Support documents using SciENcv.

1. Implementation Timeline and Leniency Period

As of the most recent official guidance (NOT-OD-26-018 and NOT-OD-26-033), the implementation timeline is as follows:

• Effective Date: January 25, 2026. This applies to all applications, Just-in-Time (JIT) submissions, and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs) with due dates on or after this date.  
• Leniency Period: NIH has extended a leniency period through May 2026. During this window, applications using the legacy NIH format will receive a system warning but will not be withdrawn.
• Full Enforcement: Starting in late May 2026 (exact date to be announced in Spring 2026), the use of Common Forms generated via SciENcv will be system-enforced as a hard error, meaning non-compliant applications will be rejected.

2. The Shift to Common Forms and SciENcv

Under the requirements of National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33), federal agencies are standardizing how investigators disclose professional activities.  

Mandatory SciENcv Use: Researchers must use the Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) to generate these forms. NIH will no longer provide or accept standalone MS Word templates for the Biosketch or Other Support.  

Digitally Certified PDF: SciENcv will produce a digitally certified PDF that includes a persistent identifier (ORCID ID) and an electronic signature.  

PI Certification: The final certification must be performed by the individual investigator within their own SciENcv account. By certifying, they acknowledge that the information is current, accurate, and complete.  

3. Key Changes to the Biographical Sketch

The new format splits information into two components that are merged into a single PDF by SciENcv:  

Biographical Sketch Common Form: This section collects standardized data used across all federal agencies, such as name, Persistent Identifier (ORCID ID), and professional positions/appointments. 

NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement: Since the Common Form is generic, NIH requires this supplement to capture three agency-specific elements:  

• Personal Statement (3,500 character limit).
• Contributions to Science (up to 5 entries, 2,000 characters each).
• Honors (maximum of 15 entries).  

Removal of Section D: The Scholastic Performance section (formerly used for Fellowship applications) has been removed.  

Products/Citations: A maximum of ten citations may be listed (typically 5 related to the project and 5 others). Importantly, links to MyBibliography are no longer allowed; the only active link permitted is the investigator’s public ORCID ID profile.  

4. New Research Security Disclosures

A major driver of these changes is research integrity. The new forms include:

Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP): Investigators must certify that they are not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program at the time of application and annually during the RPPR process.  

Foreign Support: Other Support disclosures now require the submission of copies of contracts for any foreign appointments or employment for all senior/key personnel.

5. Essential Action Items for Researchers

To prepare for these changes, the NIH recommends the following:

• Register for an ORCID ID: This is now a requirement. It must be linked to both your eRA Commons profile and your SciENcv account.
• Link Accounts: Ensure your NCBI/SciENcv account is linked to your institutional login and eRA Commons to allow data to flow between systems.
• Delegate Access: If you use administrative support for grant prep, you must assign delegates within SciENcv, though you must still log in personally to sign the final document.

Account Access & Management

*** If you do not have an ORCID account, you will need to create one before proceeding.  We highly recommend checking for old accounts before creating a new account.***

Before working in SciENcv, you must ensure your ORCID ID is linked to your eRA Commons account to pull baseline data into SciENcv. 

New SciENcv Account: On the NCBI homepage click Log in > Select ORCID > once sign in is confirmed, you will be redirected back to SciENcv and your ORCID ID should now be linked and any forms added

Existing SciENcv Account: Sign into existing account from the NCBI homepage > Account Settings > Add account (Linked Accounts) > Search for ORCID and sign in

Verify: Ensure the ORCID ID in eRA Commons matches the one you intend to use in SciENcv. On the ORCID authorization page, scroll to the bottom and click Authorize Access if needed. 

Adding Delegates

You can add staff or librarians to help manage your My Bibliography or SciENcv documents.

In MyNCBI: Name (top right) > Account Settings > Delegates > Add Delegate

Please Note: All senior/key personnel, as well as delegates, listed on an application must have an ORCID ID and the ID must be linked to their eRA Commons Personal Profile. 

Creating and Updating Documents

Under "My Bibliography" you will be able to add or edit existing documents. 

For the Proposal Section, select up to 5 distinct citations (referred to as Products) that demonstrate the impact of your professional and scholarly activities. 

An additional 5 entries for contributions to science are allowed but cannot include standalone citations. You may only reference the products listed in the designated proposal section (e.g., "Koby et al. 2025").

CREATING A NEW DOCUMENT 

1. Click on “Create a New Document” from your SciENcv dashboard. 

2. Give your new Common Form a name 

3. Use the “document type” dropdown to select Common Forms 

4. Choose your data source:

• Use an external source
• Use an existing document
• Start with a blank document 

5. Click create 

6. Review the document for missing information, errors, and compliance

• Template Use: You can use old NIH biosketches as templates for the new Common Form, but you must manually update required fields like country of origin, location of appointments, and start/end dates.

• Hyperlinks: While generally prohibited in NIH applications, system-generated hyperlinks for ORCID and PubMed/PMC IDs are officially permitted.

Finalizing: Certification and Download

1. Review the document for compliance.

2. Send notification in SciENcv that the document is ready for certification 

3. You must leave the document and go back into the documentation to see certification 

4. If the certification has been completed, you will be able to download the document. Or the PI can email the form.

• PI Action Required: A delegate cannot download the final PDF. The Principal Investigator (PI) must log in, click Download, and complete the Certification box (confirming information is correct and certifying they are not part of a malign foreign recruitment program).

• Edits After Certification: If changes are needed after downloading, you must make them within the SciENcv platform and re-certify the document to generate a new PDF. You cannot edit the PDF file directly.

Trouble Shooting

The platform is currently under significant stress due to high user volume.

• Browser Issues: If you see an error like "You have not created a CV yet" when you know you have, try a different browser (e.g., switch from Chrome to Safari) or an Incognito window.

• Technical Errors: For "Token Expired" or "XML Error" messages, clear your browser cache and cookies, or log out and back in.

• Sticky Buttons: Some buttons (like adding an ORCID to a document) may require you to click them twice for the action to save.

Helpful Common Forms Links & FAQ

Disclosure Requirements 

SciENcv Log In 

SciENcv How To 

NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form FAQ