Important Sponsor Reminders – Effective Immediately

As a follow up to earlier announcements and subsequent updates, please see the important Sponsor reminders related to  NIH Forms-G Application Forms and Instructions,  NIH Changes to Biographical Sketch and Other Support Format Page (including links to sample Biographical Sketches and Other Support Pages), NSF Updated Pre-Award and Post-Award Disclosure Table and NIH eRA Two-Factor Authentication.

New NIH FORMS-G Grant Application Forms and Instructions Required for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2022

NIH, AHRQ and FDA applicants must use FORMS-G application forms and application instructions for due dates on or after January 25, 2022 and must continue to use FORMS-F application packages for due dates on or before January 24, 2022. Applications submitted using the wrong forms for their intended due dates may be withdrawn and removed from funding consideration.

See the complete NIH notice NOT-OD-21-169 for substantive form changes (i.e., new/deleted/modified fields, Key changes (including use of new UEI, updated Biographical Sketch and Other Support format pages and requirement for eRA Commons ID for all Senior/Key personnel listed on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile).  Forms-G Application Guides are posted to the How to Apply – Application Guide page.

See the High-level Summary of Form Changes in FORMS-G Application Pages for a full list of form changes and information on the availability of FORMS-G Application Guides and Application packages.

NIH Implementation of Changes to Biographical Sketch and Other Support Format Page for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2022

As a follow up to previous announcements and detailed in NIH Notice NOT-OD-21-073 and NOT-OD-21-110 , please be reminded that the updated Biosketch and Other Support format page are required for applications, Just-in-Time (JIT) Reports, and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs) as of  January 25, 2022.  Failure to follow the appropriate formats on or after January 25, 2022 may cause NIH to withdraw applications from or delay consideration of funding.

The changes are as follows:  Please see the above referenced Notices for complete information and details related to these changes.

 Program Director/Principal Investigator or Other Senior Key Personnel

Must electronically sign the Other Support Format Page to certify the accuracy of the information submitted.

 Supporting Documentation  

For Other Support submissions that include foreign activities and resources, the recipients are required to submit copies of contracts, grants or any other agreement specific to senior/key personnel foreign appointments and/or employment with a foreign institution as supporting documentation.  If they are not in English, recipients must provide translated copies.  This supporting documentation must be provided as part of the Other Support PDF following the Other Support Format page.

• Costs associated with translations of foreign contracts for inclusion in Other Support submissions are not allowable as a direct cost.
• NIH will accept machine-read translations.
• Boston University has identified the following two preferred vendors for translation services (if applicable).  Fees are charged on a per word basis with discounted rates for “repeated text”. Projects would be quoted per project so PIs/researchers should reach out to the contacts.  These vendors are registered with Boston University, so you would receive a quote and submit a purchase requisition in the Ariba system to issue a purchase order.

 Immediate notification of undisclosed Other Support.

When a recipient organization discovers that a PI or other Senior/Key personnel on an active NIH grant failed to disclose Other Support information outside of Just-in-Time or the RPPR, as applicable, the recipient must submit updated Other Support to the Grants Management Specialist named in the Notice of Award as soon as it becomes known.

Not sure whether a particular activity should be reported in the biosketch, other support, or annual project reports?  See this new NIH resource – NIH Pre-award and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Other Support .

This consolidated table indicates where to disclose  a wide range of activities, including:

• Professional preparation (e.g. educational degress
• Organizational affiliations and appointments
• Academic, professional, or institutional appointments
• In-kind contributions
• Consulting
• And more!

National Science Foundation  – Updated Pre-Award and Post-Award Disclosure Table

NSF has issued an updated version of the table entitled NSF Pre-award and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support.  This table has been developed to assist users in completion of the Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending Support sections of the proposal.  The updated table dated January 10, 2022, includes information regarding start-up packages provided by proposing organizations as well as outside organizations.  Any questions regarding the contents of the table should be directed to the Policy Office at policy@nsf.gov.

eRA Two-Factor Authentication – Revised Phased Approach

NIH eRA is moving to two-factor authentication via Login.gov for accessing its external modules, meaning that log-in will require something you know (password) and something you have (a phone or other device).

eRA began a phased approach beginning on September 15, 2021 for enforcing the two-factor authentication requirement for the NIH recipient community as described in Two-Factor Authentication: Access eRA Modules via Login.gov  to give users more time.

To make eRA user accounts more secure with two-factor authentication (also known as multi-factor authentication), eRA is offering its users two ways to comply:

These two options should be used instead of an eRA account username and password to access eRA modules (eRA Commons, Commons Mobile, ASSIST, and Internet Assisted Review), per the adjusted timeline below.

When two-factor authentication becomes required for a user, according to the timeline below, they will now be able to use Login.gov and/or an InCommon Federated account that supports NIH’s two-factor authentication standards. Note that eRA cannot yet support two-factor authentication for users that have more than one eRA account; specific guidance for users with multiple accounts is provided below.

Adjusted Timeline

This phased approach will apply to everyone  — all scientific account holders should take action now, while administrative account holders will be required to move to two-factor authentication in mid-2022.

The new timing for enforcing the requirement depends on the type of user account and a new triggering event.­

The Type of User Account:  This phased approach pertains to all scientific account holders but excludes administrative accounts until mid-2022.

The Triggering Event: All PIs and key personnel associated with an application or Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) will be required to transition to the use of two-factor authentication 45 days after the submission of their competing grant application (Type 1 or 2) or their RPPR.

After 45 days of this triggering event, these users will not be able to access eRA modules until they set up and use a two-factor authentication service provider – Login.gov and/or an InCommon Federated account (that supports NIH’s two-factor authentication standards).

See complete information including Exceptions to the Adjusted Timeline and Approach in NIH Notice NOT-OD-21-172  and eRA website.