Updates from Sponsored Programs to BU’s research community.
Research Administration Intensive for Department Administrators Spring 2026
Tuesday, May 5 | 8 am – 5 pm Photonics Center 8 St. Mary’s Street, 9th Floor, Boston MA 02215 Sponsored Programs is hosting a Research Administration Intensive (RAI) for BU department and grant administrators, covering the entire grant project lifecycle. Sessions in both pre-award and post-award will be offered. This 1-Day In-Person Training for […]
Department Administrator Forum: SciENcv and Available Resources
Hosted by Ashley Bens, Training and Development Director of Sponsored Programs We invited all Boston University staff involved in Research Administration to join the Department Administrator (DA) Forum on April 2 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am. This session provided a comprehensive overview of preparing biosketch and current and pending/other support documents in SciENcv, how […]
Excellence in Research: Staff Advisory Council Lift-Off Series Closing Keynote
What does it mean to lead with excellence in your research career ? Join us for this panel discussion wrapping up our Lift-Off Series on the BU Medical Campus, featuring three leaders pushing the boundaries of what excellence in a research career can mean. Learn from the leaders of the some of Boston’s biggest organizations […]
Updated Elements of an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan
NIH is updating the required elements of a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) effective for applications due on or after May 25, 2026. See NIH guidance NOT-OD-26-046 for full details. As a reminder, the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy requires applicants to submit a DMS Plan for any NIH-funded or conducted research […]
Research Administration Event: NIH Fellowship Award (F31/F32) Informational Session
In advance of the NIH deadline for Fellowship applications (April 8, 2026), we invited Boston University staff and graduate students involved in research administration for an informational session on the preparation and submission of F-series proposals, as well as the management of NIH Fellowship grants once awarded. This session focused on specific pain points of […]
Personnel Activity Reports (PARs) Have Been Distributed to Department Administrators/Effort Coordinators
To comply with Federal Regulations, all Boston University employees who are paid from Sponsored Research funds receive a Personnel Activity Report (PAR) on a semi-annual basis to review and certify their salary and effort. PARs for the period July – December 2025 have been distributed this week (2/9/26) via email to department administrators/effort coordinators. Please […]
Recent NIH Notices and Updates
Sponsored Programs would like to bring to your attention recent NIH Notices and Updates impacting awards and proposals. If you have any questions, please contact your Pre Award Officer. NIH Requires Use of the eRA Prior Approval Module for the Submission of ALL Prior Approval Requests (NOT-OD-26-026) Below are the prior approval request types that are available in eRA Commons for NIH applicants and recipients that […]
NIH FY2026 Salary Limitation for Grants & Cooperative Agreements
NIH has issued updated guidance regarding the salary limitation for NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards and extramural research and development contract awards. Effective January 1, 2026, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $228,000. See NIH guidance NOT-0D-26-034 for full details. The new salary cap may be used for budgeting purposes effective immediately. […]
Update on Cost-Share and F&A waiver approvals for CRC Sponsored Research Proposals
We are announcing a change in the process to obtain a cost-share and/or F&A waiver approval for Charles River Campus (CRC) Sponsored Research proposals. Effective February 16, 2026, proposals that include these requests should be submitted to the Associate Vice President for Sponsored Programs, Diane Baldwin, at dbaldwin@bu.edu for approval prior to submission to ospera@bu.edu. […]
SciENcv Training
A new interactive training walkthrough is now available covering the full SciENcv workflow, from account setup through document download and submission. This walkthrough covers all sponsors that use the system, but specifically focuses on helping researchers comply with the new NIH requirement to use SciENcv for Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending (Other) Support documents, […]