The communication below was recently shared with Faculty who submit NIH proposals and or have active NIH awards.
May 8, 2026
NIH will implement important administrative updates that affect all proposal submissions, RPPRs, JITs, and Prior Approval requests with due dates on or after May 25, 2026. These changes introduce mandatory use of NIH Common Forms, full integration with SciENcv and ORCID, require Research Security Training (RST), and a new Data Management & Sharing (DMS) Plan format.
Beginning May 8, 2026, SciENcv becomes the sole platform for generating the NIH Biographical Sketch, Biographical Sketch Supplement, and Current & Pending (Other) Support (CPOS). The required content and format of the Disclosures has been slightly modified. SciENcv automatically provides the correct NIH format. For initial uploading of your UCLA grant and contract data into SciENcv of your UCLA CPOS in SciENcv, we recommend using the CPOS xml report available on your PI Portal home page.
Each PI/PD and Senior/Key Personnel must personally complete certifications within SciENcv before downloading their documents. These attestations confirm that the information provided is accurate and complete, that the individual is not participating in a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program, and that required Research Security Training has been completed. Certifications cannot be delegated. Frequently updated NIH FAQs are available here.
All documents must be downloaded directly from SciENcv with the digital certification intact. Any editing or modification outside SciENcv will invalidate the certification and block submission. NIH will convert current system warnings into hard‑stop errors, preventing submission for noncompliant forms.
NIH has published an updated Disclosure Table that provides direction on pre-award and post-award disclosures relating to the Biographical Sketch and CPOS.
Research Security Training (RST) becomes mandatory for all applications due on or after May 25, 2026. Training must be completed within the 12 months preceding submission, and OCGA must certify that all PI/PD and Senior/Key Personnel have completed their RST. Missing RST will prevent submission.
To support the new Common Forms, NIH requires that all investigators must have an ORCID iD linked to both their eRA Commons and SciENcv accounts. The ORCID iD must appear in the Persistent Identifier (PID) field of all Common Forms, and only the account owner can complete these linkages.
NIH is also introducing a new 2026 DMS Plan format, required for all applications with due dates on or after May 25, 2026. The updated format uses a simplified Yes/No structure with brief justifications and includes a short table describing anticipated data types and repositories. NIH will continue to accept both the 2023 and 2026 formats for applications submitted before the transition date.
For additional guidance and resources, visit the UCLA Office of Contract and Grant Administration (OCGA) website, and the April OCGA RAF presentation.