NIH Extends Common Forms Timeline for Biographical Sketch and Other Support

Adjusted Timeline for NIH’s Implementation of Common Forms Notice Number: NOT-OD-26-033

Key Dates

Release Date: February 04, 2026

Related Announcements

December 2, 2025 - Research Security Training Requirements for NIH.  See Notice NOT-OD-26-017.

December 2, 2025 - NIH’s Implementation of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2026. See Notice NOT-OD-26-018.

Issued by

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to provide updated guidance to the extramural community regarding an adjustment to the timeline of NIH’s implementation of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support. NIH will be extending the current leniency period through May 2026 to provide users and institutions sufficient time for adoption, allow for full compliance, and ensure fairness for all the extramural community. During this leniency period, NIH will provide a warning when the Common Forms are not used but will not withdraw applications that don’t comply with the use of the Common Forms.

Background

Since the deployment of the Common Forms during the week of December 15, 2025, we have received a significant volume of varying technical inquiries. After evaluating the number and types of inquiries we received to both the SciENcv and eRA Service Desks, we were able to confirm the volume of delays the users were experiencing had created a severe burden on the community for complying with the original timeline. Recent adjustments have been made in SciENcv to handle the increased system load creating latency issues early in the year and to resolve the backlog of technical service requests primarily related to account mergers.

Adjusted Timeline and Approach

Instead of requiring all users to change to the use of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support and the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement by January 25, 2026 (as outlined in NOT-OD-26-018), we will extend the leniency period through May 2026. This new timeline will allow full alignment of the certifications on the Common Forms with Research Security Training Requirements for NIH outlined in NOT-OD-26-017. In addition, this extension will provide additional time for the extramural community to update their internal systems (if needed) and any internal policies/procedures to help ensure their compliance with use of the Common Forms and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement.

Expectations

NIH encourages all applicants and recipients to begin using the Common Forms as soon as feasible, however, we will continue to accept the NIH Biosketch and NIH Other Support format pages through the duration of this extended leniency period.

Current system validations will remain in place at a warning level, allowing applicants and recipients flexibility in the submission process. A subsequent Guide Notice, anticipated in Spring 2026, will announce the date that the warning will be escalated to an error. Once the leniency period ends, system validations will be set as an error, preventing non-compliant submissions. NIH, eRA, and SciENcv will continue to monitor support team tickets and inquiries.

Resources

Instructions for the Biographical Sketch Common Form and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement as well as FAQs are available.

Instructions for Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form as well FAQs are available.

Note: An existing FAQ regarding the leniency period has already been updated. Additional FAQs based on community feedback are in progress.

Additional resources, including training videos will be posted on Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support as they become available.

Inquiries

For policy related questions, please direct inquiries to:

NIH Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration (OPERA)

Division of Grant Systems Integration (DGSI)
Systems Policy Branch
[email protected]

For technical questions related to the use of SciENcv, please direct inquiries to:

SciENcv Helpdesk

[email protected]

For technical questions related to the use of eRA, please direct inquiries to:

eRA Service Desk

Online Help: https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help

Note: All aspects outlined within this Guide Notice apply to all participating agencies. Please direct all inquiries to the respective partner agency contacts.

Please direct all AHRQ inquiries to:

Francis D. Chesley, Jr., M.D.
Director, Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
[email protected]

Please direct all CDC inquiries to:
L.C. Browning
Grants Management Specialist
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
Email: [email protected]

Please direct all VA inquiries to:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Email: [email protected]

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