NIH was scheduled to release the Common Forms in SciENcv in November 2025 (expect delays given the government shutdown). While we don’t have a revised date for the release, it is possible that the new forms will be required for Cycle I submissions, i.e., applications with deadlines on/after January 25, 2026.
NIH has made preview versions of the Biographical Sketch, Biographical Sketch Supplement, and Current and Pending (Other) Support available for users to become acquainted with the new interface and requirements.
**Please note: Data entered in the preview versions will be deleted and no longer available once the final versions are released. We highly recommend that you use the preview forms only for familiarization and not enter extensive data into them.**
We offered a walk- through of the Biographical Sketch and Biographical Sketch Supplement forms on our biweekly live Q & A, Ask the Grantwriting Expert, recently. If you’d like to watch the video, it is available on our YouTube channel.
Here are some highlights of the Biographical Sketch forms:
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The Personal Statement, Honors, and Contributions to Science have moved to the new Biographical Sketch Supplement.
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The Biographical Sketch now consists of: Professional Preparation, Appointments and Positions, and Products.
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There are now character or entry limits for certain sections. For example:
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Personal Statement is limited to 3,500 characters, inclusive of spaces and of the research projects you wish to highlight.
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The Contributions to Science section has a 2,000 character limit for each contribution, inclusive of spaces and mention of up to five products per contribution.
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Honors are limited to 15 entries.
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We plan to host a tutorial on writing an NIH Biographical Sketch – taking the new requirements and limitations into consideration – once the official version of the forms is released. Be sure to check our YouTube channel for that tutorial in early 2026.
