As of January 25, 2026, NIH requires the use of Common Forms for the biographical sketch and current and pending (other) support. Through May 2026, NIH will provide a warning when the Common Forms are not used. In the future, the requirement to use Common Forms will be system-enforced.
For more information about the new forms, as well as changes to budgets, letters of intent, and RPPRs effective January 25, 2026, see below.
Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support
NIH implemented changes to the biographical sketch and other support requirements for submissions on or after January 25, 2026 in response to NSPM-33.
Refer to NOT-OD-26-018 for complete details. Guidance from NIH is available on:
NIH has also provided a disclosure table to help determine what must be reported.
Through May 2026, NIH will provide a warning when the Common Forms are not used but will not withdraw applications that don’t comply with the use of the Common Forms. (See NOT-OD-26-033.)
Budgets
NIH has eliminated the need for prior approval of budgets of $500,000 indirect costs in any one year.
Effective immediately, NIH will no longer require applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs (excluding consortium F&A costs) in any one budget period to contact the funding Institute or Center (IC) before application submission. In line with this change, applicants are no longer required to include a cover letter identifying the Program Official contact which notes that the IC has agreed to accept assignment of the application.
Letters of Intent
NIH has also discontinued submission of any Letter of Intent:
Effective immediately NIH will no longer request or accept Letters of Intent (LOIs) as part of the application process. An LOI was never required, binding, nor considered during the peer review process.
RPPRs
NIH now requires senior/key personnel to include a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP) certification in RPPRs:
For NIH RPPRs submitted on or after January 25, 2026, individuals serving as senior/key personnel must certify annually to their participation or non-participation in a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP) by uploading a certification statement in Section G.1 as a flattened PDF.
The certification statement language must align with the statement within the Common Forms for Biosketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support, and state: I [insert name] certify that, at the time of submission, I am not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
The file for each senior/key person must be named ‘MFTRPcert_[Name].pdf’ without quotations, where ‘[Name]’ is the name of the senior/key person. See NOT-OD-26-018 for more information