The purpose of this Notice is to provide updated guidance regarding an adjustment to the timeline of NIH’s implementation of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support.
Adjusted Timeline and Approach
Instead of requiring all users to change to the use of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support and the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement by January 25, 2026 (as outlined in NOT-OD-26-018), NIH will extend the leniency period through May 2026. This new timeline will allow full alignment of the certifications on the Common Forms with Research Security Training Requirements for NIH outlined in NOT-OD-26-017.
Expectations
NIH encourages all applicants and recipients to begin using the Common Forms as soon as feasible, however, the agency will continue to accept the NIH Biosketch and NIH Other Support format pages through the duration of this extended leniency period.
Current system validations will remain in place at a warning level, allowing applicants and recipients flexibility in the submission process. A subsequent Guide Notice, anticipated in Spring 2026, will announce the date that the warning will be escalated to an error. Once the leniency period ends, system validations will be set as an error, preventing non-compliant submissions. NIH, eRA, and SciENcv will continue to monitor support team tickets and inquiries.
Full Notice
National Institutes of Health
NOT-OD-26-033
February 04, 2026
