NIH Common Forms - Biosketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support: Home

The HSL is offering monthly workshops on the new NIH requirements for 2026. Please sign up using the links below:

• Wednesday, December 17, 11:00am - 12:00pm 
• Thursday, January 15, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
• Tuesday, February 17, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
• Thursday, March 26, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
• Tuesday, April 21, 11:00am - 12:00pm

The NIH is implementing new Common Forms for Biosketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support for due dates on or after January 25, 2026.

Use of the new Common Forms for Biographical Sketch, Current and Pending (Other) (CP(O)) Support, and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement will be required for application due dates and all JIT, RPPR, and Prior Approval submissions on or after January 25, 2026. See NOT-OD-26-018 for a table of effective dates relevant to different application, performance report, just-in-time and prior approval submission scenarios. 

View detailed instructions for each form on the other pages within this guide:

• NIH Biosketch

• NIH Current and Pending (Other) Support Form

Key changes:

• Use SciENcv tool to fill out forms: You will be required to use SciENcv to complete Common Forms (i.e., Biographical Sketch and CP(O) Support) and the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement to produce digitally certified PDF(s) for use in application submission.

  • SciENcv (short for Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae) is a researcher profile system for all individuals who apply for, receive, or are associated with research investments from federal agencies.
  • You will need an NCBI account to create a biosketch in SciENcv. If new to My NCBI, see information on setting up a My NCBI login.
• ORCID iD required: You will be required to enter your ORCID iD in the Persistent Identifier (PI) section of the Common Forms. You will also need to link your ORCID iD with eRA Commons.
  • ORCID is a free, unique, persistent identifier (PID) for individuals to use as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities.
  • To learn more about ORCID iDs and how to connect them to UNC, visit our ORCID guide. For details on how to link your ORCID iD with eRA Commons, visit eRA's help site.
• Products section in Biosketch: Rather then including citations within your personal statement and contributions to science, you must instead include a list of products that demonstrate your qualifications to carry out the project as proposed in the "Products" section. Include:
  • Up to five products most closely related to the proposed project.
  • Up to five other significant products, whether or not related to the proposed project, that demonstrate the senior/key person's qualifications to carry out the project.
• Common Forms require certification: Forms cannot be downloaded until you agree to certain statements.

More details:

SciENcv is a tool designed to help researchers complete biosketches and CP(O) Support forms efficiently. This tool will link to and pull in biographical information from your eRA Commons account, publications from your NCBI My Bibliography, and your ORCID ID and publications from ORCID. SciENcv will be the required tool for completing the new NIH biosketch and CP(O) Support Common Forms beginning on January 25, 2026.

Why should I use SciENcv?

• Required by NIH as of January 25, 2026
• Eliminates the need to repeatedly enter the same information
• The researcher can control the content and edit it as needed
• Each document can be tweaked to support a particular grant application and funding agency
• Export the results as a PDF
• Grant access to other people (delegates) to view and manage your profiles

To fill out NIH Common Forms (Biosketch and CP(O) Support) using SciENcv, follow these steps:

1. Sign into My NCBI (If new to My NCBI, see information on setting up a My NCBI login).
2. Find the SciENcv box located on your My NCBI home page ("Dashboard") and select the link "Manage SciENcv"
3. Select the "New Document" button.
4. Give your document a detailed name and then select the document type. Choose "NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form" to create a biosketch or choose "NIH Current and Pending (Other) Support" to create a CP(O) Support form.
5. Choose one of the following data sources for your form:
   1. Select "External Source" to pull biographical information from either ORCID or eRA Commons.
   2. Select "Use an existing document in SciENcv" if you want to copy and adapt an existing SciENcv biosketch.
   3. Select "Start with a blank document" to start from scratch.
6. Select "Create".
7. Fill out the form using the included instructions. When filling out your biosketch, choose citations to include from your ORCID profile or NCBI My Bibliography.
8. Export your form(s) as PDFs and submit the PDFs with your NIH application.

To connect your ORCID account to SciENcv (as is required):

1. Log into your My NCBI account.
2. Click on your username (in top right corner) to access the "Account Settings" page.
3. Go to the "Linked Accounts" section and click "Add Account".
4. In the pop-up window, search for "ORCID" and select the link.
5. Log into your ORCID account and then select "Authorize Access".

*Follow the same process to connect your eRA Commons or NSF account.

To assign a delegate who can use SciENcv on your behalf:

1. Log into your My NCBI account.
2. Click on your username (in top right corner) to access the "Account Settings" page.
3. Go to the "Delegates" section and click "Add Delegate"
4. Enter the delegate’s e-mail address then click "Save"
5. Your delegate will receive a link via email. (Note: Delegates will need to create/use their own NCBI login.)