Updates from the National Institutes of Health:
- As announced in NOT-OD-26-018, NIH requires use of the Common Forms for the Biographical Sketch, NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement and Current and Pending (Other) Support forms. In recognition of the ongoing technical challenges reported through SciENcv and the eRA Service Desks, the agency has implemented a temporary leniency period extending through May 2026. During this time, applications that do not incorporate the correct Common Forms will generate a validation Warning rather than an Error, and NIH will not withdraw applications solely for noncompliance with this requirement. Per verbal guidance from NIH, the leniency period does not apply to linking eRA Commons accounts to ORCID iDs. Individuals should link their eRA Commons accounts to ORCID iD. See the FAQ for more information regarding the leniency period and the OCGA YouTube playlist for guidance on obtaining an ORCID iD and linking it to eRA Commons and SciENcv.
- On January 28, 2026, NIH issued NOT-OD-26-034 to announce the new salary levels for the Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 11, 2026, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $228,000. For active FY 2026 awards restricted to Executive Level II, recipients may rebudget if funds are available and the higher salary cap aligns with institutional base salary. However, recipients cannot charge any salary—direct or indirect—above the cap and must apply their established, consistently applied salary policies across all funding sources.
- On January 28, 2026, NIH issued NOT-OD-26-029 to announce that NIH will end separate AIDS application due dates starting with January 2027 reviews, shifting all HIV/AIDS applications to standard deadlines. The change reduces administrative burden and supports a more efficient, consistent review peer-review process. Learn more in the NIH Extramural Nexus blog.
NSF PAPPG, Supplement 2
On January 22, 2026, the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued Policy Notice: Implementation of Policy Changes to Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) 24-1, Supplement 2. The Supplement includes changes to the NSF Public Access Repository (PAR), Research.gov Project Reports and several policy revisions. See the Notice for:
- Detailed guidance on the required sharing of research products under the Public Access to Research Products policy,
- Clarified expectations of investigators under the Dissemination and Sharing of Research Results policy, and
- Specific Research.gov requirements for applicants regarding submitting Data Management and Sharing Plans.
DOE Will Follow Indirect Cost Policy Agreements
On January 27, 2026, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued PF 2026-03: Indirect Cost Rates, Policy Flashes and Financial Assistance Letter No Longer in Effect Due to the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026 to announce that DOE has rescinded all Policy Flashes on adjusting indirect cost rates. Under H.R. 6938, DOE must apply indirect cost rates exactly as in FY 2024 and may not use any funds to change negotiated indirect cost rates. See PF 2026-03 for more information.