What is changing? 

  • NIH is requiring use of the NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form for applications due on/after January 25, 2026.
  • The change will
    • enable greater standardization across federal agencies, and
    • provide clarity regarding disclosure requirements, disclosure process, and expected degree of cross-agency uniformity (details).
  • NIH will collect the Personal Statement, Honors, and Contributions to Science in the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement.
  • Investigators are required to use SciENcv to complete the NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form and Biographical Sketch Supplement.
    • The Biographical Sketch Common Form and Biographical Sketch Supplement are completed in a single user interface in SciENcv that will generate a single PDF containing both forms.
    • NIH will require the final PDF to be certified by each investigator.
    • Altering the certified PDF could result in withdraw of the grant application.
  • See a summary of formatting changes due to the switch to the Common Forms and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement below, which include character limits to the Personal Statement and Contributions to Science sections. 

When the change will be implemented?

  • Use of the NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form and Biographical Sketch Supplement will be required for applications due on or after January 25, 2026.
    • For applications due on or before January 24, 2026, continue to follow the instructions on the NIH Biosketch page.  
  • Templates for the NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form and Biographical Sketch Supplement are currently available in SciENcv. 

What can I do to prepare for the change? 

  • Obtain an ORCID iD
  • Link your ORCID iD to your eRA Commons Profile
  • Establish a SciENcv profile
  • Create an NIH Biosketch in SciENcv

Additional considerations

  • The file name of the PDF generated from SciENcv may be updated once certified and downloaded, but must align with NIH formatting instructions.
  • Do not flatten the PDF once certified and downloaded (unless noted in the Application Guide Instructions).

Summary of the notable changes to NIH Biosketch in 2026

Current NIH Biosketch                                                             Biographical Sketch Common FormNIH Biographical Sketch Supplement
Education/TrainingProfessional PreparationNot applicable

A. Personal Statement

Narrative and 4 citations

Products:

Products most closely related to the proposed project, limit 5 citations

Personal Statement:

No citations allowed. Limit 3,500 characters

Provide narrative for Personal Statement, including information on the Products Most Closely Related to the Proposed Project, cited in the Products section of the Biographical Sketch Common Form.

B. Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honors

Appointments and Positions:

Must only identify all domestic 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.

Honors:

Limited to no more than 15 entries.

C. Contributions to Science: 

Up to 5 narrative contribution descriptions, each allowed to include citations for up to 4 products

Products: 

Provide up to 5 other significant products that highlight the senior/key person’s Contributions to Science. 

The NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement will provide the opportunity to describe these contributions in more depth.  

Contributions to Science:

Can provide up to 5 narrative Contributions to Science.

No citations allowed. Limit 2,000 characters.

You may refer to products listed in the Other Significant Products section of your Biographical Sketch Common Form that are relevant to the contributions described in this section. 

Resources

UI Resources

Other Resources