Using SciENcv to Create an NIH Biosketch and Other Support Documents

• Click on the link Manage SciENcv
  • Note: If you've never created a SciENcv sketch, the link may read "Click here to create a new CV". After you've created one sketch, the link will say "Manage SciENcv".
• You will be taken to the SciENcv listings page, where you will see documents you've created and have the chance to start a new document.
• Here, at the top, you can populate or edit your profile information. This information is populated from your My NCBI profile settings, so make sure they are up to date and you have linked relevant accounts in your NCBI settings.
  • You should include your ORCiD here, if you have one - you will be required to use your ORCiD on all documents in the future (finad date is yet to be set by the NIH - updated March 28, 2025).

To start a new sketch

• Under My Documents click the button + NEW DOCUMENT

• Name the sketch (Document title):  you can name it anything you like. We have a section on naming recommendations at the bottom of this page. Give the sketch a meaningful name, especially if you will be asking delegates to help you edit it.

• Format (Document type): Click on the menu drop-down arrow. You currently have these options: NIH Biosketch, NIH Fellowship Biosketch, NSF Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support, or IES Biosketch

  • The NIH expects to add the new NIH forms (known as "Common Forms"  - Biosketch and Other Support) in late March, 2025 (target). The new format will be required for applications on or after May 25, 2025 (target date), so you should continue to use the current ("NIH Biosketch") form for all proposals due before the requirement is in place.

    • Tip: To get used to the new NIH format BEFORE those forms appear in SciENcv, you can use the "NSF Biographical Sketch" form. The NSF already uses the Common Form, and the NIH has announced that they will be adopting this form with no changes to fields for their biosketch.

• Choose Data source: 
  • External source
    • eRA Commons - recommended external source for NIH sketches
    • ORCiD
      • A note of caution on importing data from ORCiD:
        When you create a sketch using ORCiD as your external data source, there may be errors in your Professional Preparation section and possibly in other sections. When you try to edit this information, SciENcv will give you an error message and your edits will not be saved. This bug has been in place for many weeks and has not yet been fixed. For this reason, we do not recommend using ORCiD as an external data source when starting a new biosketch.
    • NSF
    • These are potential / example external data sources. This dropdown list will be populated based on what accounts you have linked to your My NCBI account.
  • Existing document (from your current SciENcv documents, if you have any)
    • This is why it's very useful to create a new sketch before it's required by the NIH. Then you can use this sketch as a source to populate future sketches. (See our tip on creating a Master sketch.)
  • Start with a blank document
• Click Create (or Cancel if you wish)

After the new forms are implemented, the NIH will require you to certify the PDF of your biosketch before downloading it for submission with a grant proposal. After certifying you will not be able to edit that sketch without corrupting the metadata that is encoded into the certified form.

Therefore, it's best to create a Master biosketch, and give it a name that includes "Master" (example: Shaw-Master-NIH-Biosketch), then use it as a template to create sketches for each proposal (by using the "existing document" option). SciENcv allows you to create as many biosketches as you want. This way, your Master remains intact and you have a history of sketches for each proposal.

You will have to create new sketches and Other Support documents for each unique proposal, so it's important to establish a useful naming convention for your documents. Here are some recommendations.

• Use your name in your document names
  • This way, when your delegate(s) access your document for upload to the NIH for a proposal, they can identify it from other researchers' biosketches.
• For your master sketch, use "Master"; for proposal sketches add the proposal number or a short proposal name description
• Add the date: Year and month are recommended, but add day if you expect you might prepare multiple proposals at the same time

Check with your Research Administrator to see if they have a preferred way for you to name your biosketch (and Other Support) documents.

Do not attempt to rename a sketch in SciENcv after you have certified it. Similar to making edits after certification, renaming a document after certification can corrupt the metadata that is used by the system to verify that your sketch is certified and has not been tampered with.