FAQs: NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form & Biographical Sketch Supplement

Updated 1/16/2026

FAQs: NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form & Biographical Sketch Supplement

Review:

Q1: When will the NIH require the use of SciENcv for biosketches?
A1: The new Biosketch format is required for submissions on/after January 25, 2026. This includes all applications, JIT, RPPR, and Prior Approval submissions that involve biosketches.

Q2: What needs to be included in the new Biosketch format and in what order? Is there a page limit?
A2: SciENcv will assemble the biosketch as a PDF output in the appropriate format. The Biographical Sketch Common Form includes: Professional Preparation; Products Most Closely Related to the Proposed Project (limit 5 citations); Appointments and Positions (include both foreign and domestic outside UW for a period of up to 3 years from the date of submission); Products that highlight a person’s Contributions to Science (limit 5 citations).

Neither the biosketch nor the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement has a page limit as such. Instead, the limits on the numbers of entries and citations, and limits on the number of characters in narrative sections of the biosketch supplement, serve to keep the amount of information contained.

Q3: How far back should I list positions and appointments in the Biosketch?
A3: Per NOT-OD-26-018, Appointments and Positions, “must only identify all domestic and foreign professional appointments and positions outside of the primary organization for a period up to three years from the date the applicant submits the application to the agency for funding consideration.”

Q4: What is the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement?
A4: The Supplement is an addendum to the Biographical Sketch Common Form, used to capture NIH-specific information not included in the Common Forms biosketch. Both are completed and certified together and SciENcv will create a single PDF of the two. The Supplement includes:

  • Personal Statement (limited to 3,500 characters);
  • Honors (limited to 15 entries);
  • Contributions to Science (limited to 5 narrative contributions, 2000 characters each, and citations are not allowed).

Combined, the biosketch and the supplement effectively provide most of the same information used in the previous NIH biosketch format.

Q5: How are the required certifications made?
A5: With the Common Forms, required certifications are part of the SciENcv template. NIH requires a certification that the individual is not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program, effective with the Commons Form implementation. (When additional certifications are needed, such as research security training beginning May 25, 2026, we anticipate the SciENcv template will be updated accordingly.)

Certification is the final step when the prepared biosketch document is downloaded. A delegate can assist with preparing documents in SciENcv using the Common Forms, but the PD/PI or Senior/Key Person must personally generate the final biosketch in order to provide the certifications.

Q6: Can I edit the form? Flatten it? What about the hyperlinks?
A6: The NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement are generated as a single form. You can change the file name of the PDF if desired, but otherwise do not alter it in any way prior to uploading in an application. Do not split the form into separate attachments, add additional signatures, flatten the PDF, open it in or export it to another program, or save it as a different file type. Any of these actions will remove the digital certificate that verifies the document was properly created in SciENcv.

You may notice that SciENcv generates certain hyperlinks in the biosketch automatically, including the ORCID. These should not be in conflict with the NIH policy limiting the use of hyperlinks in applications. SciENcv has been designed to create or permit hyperlinks only in areas of the document where they would be allowable (for example, they are not supported in the personal statement). Biosketches and publication lists have typically been excluded from any system validations that check for unallowable hyperlinks.

Q7: What system validations will apply to the biosketch?
A7: The eRA Commons system validations will verify that the biosketch:

  • Uses a current SciENcv form version
  • Has a valid digital certificate
  • Is signed within the last 12 months
  • ORCID matches the ORCID associated with the Commons ID in the Senior/Key Person profile

Initially, these validations will result in a warning. NIH has indicated that the warning would be changed to an error by February 6, 2026, preventing submission of applications that are lacking the correct forms.

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