Summary of Changes to NIH Biosketch in effect January 25, 2026

After a delay earlier in the year, the NIH has announced that the changes to the NIH Biosketch and Other Support forms will go into effect for applications due on/after January 25, 2026.  See below for a summary of components and key changes, the full notice and FAQs from the NIH, along with resources at Duke.  This post will be continually updated as new information becomes available.

1. Outline of the components of the New Biosketch:

   1. NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form

      1. Identifying Information, Organization and Location

      2. A. Professional Preparation

      3. B. Appointments and Positions

      4. C. Products

   2. NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement

      1. A. Personal Statement

      2. B. Honors

      3. C. Contributions to Science

   3. Certification

2. Highlights of Key Changes:

   1. You MUST use SciENcv to generate your NIH Biosketch.
   2. When creating a new Biosketch, you can start with a blank document or an existing document you have in SciENcv to pre-populate (at least some of) the new form.  Please check all the information carefully to make sure it is correct.
   3. Select “NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form” from the drop-down menu in SciENcv.
      1. DO NOT choose “NIH Biosketch” (this is the old form) – if you go into this form, you will be warned that it is outdated, and there will be a link to “copy” your existing biosketch into the new form.
   4. You MUST have an ORCID ID and link it to your eRA Commons account:
      1. You will need to enter your ORCID ID into the “Identifying Information, Organization and Location” section, and you will not be able to save your changes if that field is left blank.
      2. For more information on ORCID and making sure your ORCID is registered at Duke: https://myresearchpath.duke.edu/orcid
   5. Products (Publications)
      1. You are allowed to cite up to 5 “Products Closely Related to the Project” (including publications), and up to 5 “Other Significant Products Highlighting Contributions to Science”.  These are the only publications you will be able to cite on the Biosketch (this is less than you previously were allowed).
   6. Contributions to Science
      1. You are still allowed up to 5 contributions to science, which you enter into text boxes (2,000 character limit per contribution).  You may refer back to the “Other Significant Products” (i.e., publications) that you listed in the C. Products section, but you are not allowed to cite additional publications within the contribution to science section.
   7. You may designate a “Delegate” in your MyNCBI account, who will able to create/edit your Biosketches within SciENcv; however the PI will need to certify it.

3. Certification

   1. You may “VIEW DRAFT” to view/check – this is HIGHLY recommended, to check for formatting errors/issues that you might need to adjust.
   2. When ready to submit, hit “DOWNLOAD PDF” (available at the top/right and under Certification).  The PI will need to hit “Certify” in the popup window, before your final PDF will download.
   3. You are UNABLE to edit the PDF after it has been certified and downloaded – editing the PDF will nullify the certification.  If you find errors after downloading, go back to SciENcv, revise, and then certify/download again.
      1. Note, that the PI themselves need to be logged in to SciENcv to complete the certification process (not a delegate).

NIH Notice:  NOT-OD-26-018

FAQs: https://grants.nih.gov/faqs#/common-forms-biographical-sketch-current-pending-support.htm?anchor=11952

• Resources at Duke

  • Medical Center Library SciENcv libguide
  • Short video on setting up a biosketch in SciENcv
  • myRESEARCHpath Guide: https://myresearchpath.duke.edu/new-nih-common-forms-requirements-beginning-january-25th-2026
  • Please send your SciENcv questions to the Duke SciENcv support team via:
    • Email – sciencvhelp@duke.edu.
    • Teams – ‘sciENcv NIH Common Forms Live Support’