Dear Colleagues:
I am writing regarding the Partial Government Shutdown and some recent Clarifications on the adoption of the NIH Common Forms in SciENcv.
PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
As of January 30, 2026, the federal government entered a partial shutdown. The Office of Contract and Grant Administration (OCGA) is actively monitoring the situation and posting updated contract and grant guidance on our website. We encourage you to visit the site for the latest information, including links to agency-specific shutdown guidance and a list of which agencies are open and which are closed.
Given the upcoming NIH proposal deadlines, we want to draw your attention to a Notice issued by NIH this morning, which includes important guidance:
Submission of Grant Applications
For the duration of the funding lapse, applicants should continue to submit applications in accordance with the due dates outlined in the Notices of Funding Opportunities. Applications will be accepted and reviewed once operations resume. For any applications submitted immediately prior to or during the funding lapse, here is what will happen:
- For electronic submissions through Grants.gov: Grants.gov will be open and can accept electronic applications. However, applications will not be processed by NIH until operations resume.
- For electronic submission of multi-project applications through NIH’s ASSIST system: The ASSIST system will remain available and can accept applications. However, applications will not be processed by NIH until operations resume.
If you have award specific questions, please reach out to your OCGA contact.
NIH CLARFICATIONS ON THE ADOPTION OF THE NIH COMMON FORMS IN SciENcv
As announced in NOT-OD-26-018, NIH now requires use of the Common Forms for the Biographical Sketch, NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement and Current and Pending (Other) Support forms. However, in recognition of 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.
NIH confirmed that the period of leniency also applies to the use of Common Forms for JIT, RPPR and Prior Approval. NIH will keep the current system validation warning messages in place as a reminder for applicants (e-submission, JIT) and recipients (RPPR, Prior Approval) through May 2026. However, during the extended leniency period, NIH will accept the old NIH Biosketch and Other Support format pages or the new Common Forms.
Please note that, 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.
OCGA has created a YouTube playlist for guidance on obtaining an ORCID iD and linking it to eRA Commons and SciENcv.
We post updated information on the OCGA blog – we encourage you to check it routinely for the latest updates. Monthly updates are also provided at the Research Administrators Forum (RAF). The next RAF will be held on February 12, 2026, and prior slide presentations are available here.