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Understanding the new NIH Common Form for Biosketches Requirement and SciENcv

Understanding the new NIH Common Form for Biosketches Requirement and SciENcv

On December 2, 2025, the NIH released a notice of adoption of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support for all submissions due on or after January 25, 2026.

In order to comply with this notice, the NIH requires using SciENcv, a formatting tool used to create an NIH biosketch.

What you need to know

  1. For submissions due on or after January 25, 2026, the NIH requires the use of Common Forms for:

    1. Biographical Sketch

    2. NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement (included automatically when the NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form is created; required for all senior/key personnel)

    3. Current & Pending (Other) Support

  2. To access the Common Forms, all forms must be completed using SciENcv. No alternate forms are accepted.

  3. All individuals must have an ORCiD ID linked to their eRA Commons account and vice versa.

  4. Non-compliant applications will receive warnings until February 6, 2026. After February 6, non-compliant applications may be withdrawn.

  5. Do NOT use the Common Forms for applications due BEFORE January 25, 2026.

  6. If you are participating in a malign foreign talent program (MFTRP), you are not eligible to serve as a senior or key personnel on NIH grants or cooperative agreements. On the Common Form, there is now a requirement for you to provide certification that you are NOT participating in a MFTRP.

What is SciENcv?

  1. SciENcv extracts your information from the NIH eRA commons, PubMed, and ORCID/Google Scholar.

    1. This is why for smoothest process, you should ensure your profiles are up to date before using SciENcv.

      1. Update your ORCID and link it to your JHED

      2. Update your Google Scholar

  2. SciENcv allows you to copy or reuse and have multiple versions of your biosketch in one place.

Notable Changes to the Biosketch Form

  • No page limits; sections now have character limits instead.

  • Traditional A-D sections are gone; Sections are now named and reorganized.

  • Products: up to 5 most relevant citations.

  • Appointments & Positions:

    • Only external appointments (domestic or foreign)

    • Limited to the past 3 years

  • Other Significant Products: up to 5 additional items.

  • Honors: Maximum 15 entries.

  • Contributions to Science: Narrative format (no citation lists) & Up to 5 entries, 2,000 characters each.

  • Personal Statement: Moved to the Biosketch Supplement & 3,500-character limit.

Notable Changes to the Other Support Form

  • Not required for training grant PDs/Pis for the training grant itself.

  • Effort must be reported only in person months (no calendar/academic/summer split).

  • “Specific Aims” renamed Overall Objectives (1,500 characters).

  • In-kind contributions reporting altered:

    • All in-kind items valued at $5,000 or more must be reported.

    • In-kind contributions are non-monetary resources such as space or equipment, provided at no cost to the investigator.

  • Non-effort items (e.g., free reagents) generally do not need disclosure.

  • Overlap statements are now project-specific, not one global statement at the end.

  • Supporting documents (e.g., contracts) are uploaded separately, not via SciENcv.

Getting Started with SciENcv

  1. Sign into MyNCBI.

    1. If you are NIH-funded, Welch library recommends using a Login.gov or eRa Commons login.

  2. In upper right, click on Linked Accounts. Link your ORCiD ID. If you signed in with your ORCiD ID, link your eRA Commons account after clicking on Linked Accounts.

  3. Add a new document. Select “NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form.”

  4. Identifying Information Organization and Location

    1. This information is drawn from your profile. You can edit this information by clicking “edit” on the right of the section title.

  5. Fill out or review information in the Professional Preparation and Appointments and Positions sections.

  6. Products

    1. Select up to 5 citations closely related to the proposed project, and 5 other significant citations highlighting contributions to science.

  7. NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement

    1. All senior/key personnel must submit a Biographical Sketch Supplement including the following elements:

      1. Personal Statement limited to 3,500 characters

        1. Add line breaks in your personal statement using HTML code. See an example below:

          1. <b>Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Cognitive Performance/Decline/Dementia:</b> I began studying sleep and cognition as a postdoctoral fellow more than twenty years ago…This work has helped establish disturbed sleep as a modifiable risk factor for AD/ADRD.
            <BR><BR>

      2. Honors section of 15 entries

      3. Contributions to Science

        1. Add up to 5 entries in this section. These entries are narrative-based and are limited to 2,000 characters each.

    2. Certify that the information is accurate and that you are NOT part of a malign foreign talent recruitment program.

    3. You (the investigator) must certify. This action may not be delegated to a third party.

  8. Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form

    1. Identifying Information, Organization, and Location is automatically populated from your SciENcv profile.

    2. There is no page limit for this section of the application, though some fields have character limitations.

    3. For information regarding pre-award and post-award disclosures, refer to NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance Pre- and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support.

    4. Fill out the Proposals and Active Projects section.

    5. Fill out the In-Kind Contributions section.

      1. Record all contributions with a value of $5,000 or more that also require a commitment of the individual’s time.

Other Resources

research@BSPH Research Council Slides -- 1/15/26

ORA Office Hours Slides – 1/8/26

CFAR ORCiD and SciENcv Slides – 12/18/25