NIH Announcements and Updates

NIH Disposition of Biospecimens Collected from Tribal Populations

(The NIH established options for the disposition of deidentified biospecimens collected for medical research from Tribal populations. While the options are required for NIH-held Tribal specimens, all researchers who work with Tribal biospecimens are encouraged to follow the recommendations and choose option(s) to return the specimens to their Tribes or, in communication with the Tribes, choose another option.)

New Application Structure for NIH-Funded International Collaborations

(The purpose of this Notice is to announce a new application and award structure for applications that request funding for foreign component organizations. "For grants requesting NIH funding for one or more foreign components, NIH will require that competing applications submit applications to a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that supports the new PF5 Activity Code for grants, new UF5 Activity Code for cooperative agreements, or another complex mechanism activity code that supports the International Project component type.") 

Implementation of NIH Research Security Policies

(The NIH has established Research Security Program policies for institutions and individuals. Institutions receiving federal funding "in excess of $50 million per year" must provide training, and individuals must provide proof that they have received training on research security practices. Requirements for research security training are outlined. Compliance will be effective for applications submitted on or after January 25, 2026.)

Preview of NIH Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support Coming Soon to SciENcv

(The change of NIH biosketch and Other Support forms to the use of the Common Forms has been announced to begin in 2026. The NIH will make the previews of the biosketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support forms available in SciENcv on or before September 15, 2025. These PREVIEW forms will not be the final forms, and applicants should continue using the current forms until the change is finalized. There is currently still an NSF Current & Pending (Other) Support form in SciENcv for users to familiarize themselves with. The NIH will require the use of SciENcv to prepare these forms when the change happens. Please read NOT-OD-25-143 for more information and instructions.) 

Notice of an Update to the OLAW Guidance Disclaimer

(This disclaimer update states: "OLAW is responsible for advising Assured institutions concerning the implementation of the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (PHS Policy Section V.A.3.). OLAW’s oversight authority is derived from statutory and regulatory requirements of Public Law 99-158, Sec. 495, and the PHS Policy." It also reminds researchers conducting animal research to  maintain compliance with PHS Policy Section I, PHS Policy Section IV.A.1., PHS Policy Section IV.C.1.g., and, when applicable, the Animal Welfare Act and state or local laws that may apply more stringent standards for laboratory animal care and use.)

NOT-OD-25-145

NIH Will Stop Posting Notices of Funding Opportunities in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts in FY2026

(NIH will no longer post notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) on the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. Grants.gov will now be the only source for NIH NOFOs. The NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts will continue to post policy notices.) 

Update: No-Cost Extension Functionality in eRA

(NIH has re-enabled the No-Cost Extension functionality within eRA Commons. Recipients may resume initiating first no-cost extensions in eRA Commons. Please be aware that requests made using the prior approval model will not be reviewed, and applicants must submit using the current Status model's Extension action.)

Reminder: Unauthorized Use of Credentials is Prohibited

(Reminds users that sharing of eRA Commons credentials is not allowed.)

NIH Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy Implementation Guidance

(Guidance to potential partners for applying to use products emanating from NIH's own patent licenses, as outlined in the NIH Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy (see next notice).)

NIH Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy

(This policy updates and replaces the previous NIH Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy NOT-OD-25-062, which was rescinded.)

Notice to Applicants of Adjustments to Achieve Consistency in Peer Review Contacts and Processes

(Notice that all NIH peer review of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements is centralized within the Center for Scientific Review.)

Updated Implementation Guidance of NIH Policy on Foreign Subawards for Active Projects

(Updates the implementation of the NIH Policy on Foreign Subawards NOT-OD-25-104. States that "NIH will not issue awards to domestic or foreign entities (new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) that include a subaward to a foreign entity.")

Revision: NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research

("The purpose of this Notice is to inform the research community that NIH is revising the NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research to align with Executive Order 14168 'Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.' Revisions are primarily focused on promulgating the use of “sex” instead of “sex/gender” and updating race and/or ethnicity information to align with Office of Management and Budget’s Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity.")

Supporting Fairness and Originality in NIH Research Applications

(NIH has noticed some investigators submitting extremely large numbers of grant applications generated by AI tools. As a result, "NIH will not consider applications that are either substantially developed by AI, or contain sections substantially developed by AI, to be original ideas of applicants."

Furthermore, the NIH will not allow more than six (6) "new, renewal, resubmission, or revision applications from an individual Principal Investigator/Program Director or Multiple Principal Investigator for all council rounds in a calendar year" (with the exception of T activity codes and R13 Conference Grant Applications).

NIH Announces a New Policy Requirement to Train Senior/Key Personnel on Other Support Disclosure Requirements

(The NIH has a "new policy requirement that requires NIH recipients to provide training to all faculty and researchers identified as Senior/Key Personnel on the requirement to disclose all research activities and affiliations (active and pending) in Other Support (see Other Support form)." This new training policy goes into effect October 1, 2025.)

Implementation Update: Terminating or Suspending Dangerous Gain-of-Function Research in Accordance with the Executive Order on Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research

(Informs the research community that the NIH will terminate and/or suspend all funding and non-funded support for "dangerous gain of function" research as directed by the May 5 2025 Executive Order on Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research. Gain of function research is defined as "scientific research on an infectious agent or toxin with the potential to cause disease by enhancing its pathogenicity or increasing its transmissibility.")