Research Security Disclosures and Training by Sponsor

UPDATE: NIH is requiring SciENcv Common Forms for Current and Pending (Other) Support for submissions on or after January 25, 2026.  Please continue to follow the current process for JITs, RPPRs, and Prior Approvals submitted before that date.  For additional information see NOT-OD-26-018.

---

Who Must Report:

• At the Just-in-Time Stage (JIT) all individuals included in the grant application as senior/key personnel must submit Current and Pending (Other) Support forms, except: 
• Other Significant Contributors
• Program Directors, training faculty and others involved in the oversight of training grants
• For Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) all senior/key personnel who have had a change in activeother support must submit Current and Pending (Other) Support forms, except: 
  • Other Significant Contributors

---

When to Report:

• At the Just-in-Time Stage – information gathered after proposal submission and prior to award.
• In the RPPR - changes to active other support  requires an updated  Current and Pending (Other) Support form be submitted in the RPPR.
• When requesting prior approval for a change in Senior/Key Personnel via the Prior Approval module of Commons.
• As soon as MSU becomes aware that Current and Pending (Other) Support information was not disclosed at the JIT or RPPR stage, the University must submit the updated information to the Grants Management Specialist named in the award.

---

What to Report:

For detailed information on what to disclose to NIH, please review the NIH Disclosure Table.

---

How to Report:

• SciENcv Common Form for Current and Pending (Other) Support is to be used for JITs, RPPRs, and Prior Approvals on or after January 25, 2026.  Prior to January 25^th, continue to use the Other Support Format. 
• NIH provided details of the new Current and Pending (Other) changes in NOT-OD-26-018. Highlights of key changes include: 
  • As of January 25, 2026, Senior/Key personnel must have an ORCID iD and associate their ORCID iD in their eRA Commons profile and in SciENcv.  ORCID iD will be used as the Persistent Identifier on the Common Form for Current and Pending Support.
  • Effort will no longer be classified as either calendar or academic/summer months.  Instead, effort is classified in person months or partial person months (1.2 person months vs. 0.9 academic and 0.3 summer).
  • “Overall Objectives” has replaced “Major Goals.”  The field is limited to 1,500 characters.
  • In-Kind Contributions should only be reported if estimated at $5,000 or more AND requires a commitment of the individual’s time. The field label is now “US Dollar Value of In-Kind Contribution.”
  • Statement of Potential Overlap must be summarized in each Active, Pending, or In-Kind Contribution entry rather than summarized at the end.
  • Supporting Documentation will be attached in a separate field alongside the SciENcv Current and Pending (Other) Support document when submitting via the Just-In-Time, RPPR, or Prior Approval modules in Commons.  Previously, this was appended to the Other Support form. 
  • NIH will require individuals (not delegates) to certify in SciENcv  that the information in their form is current, accurate, and complete, and that they are not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program.  The certified form can be downloaded in a pdf format to attach to JIT, RPPR or Prior Approval requests.  The certified PDF forms should not be flattened prior to attaching.

---

Supporting Documentation:

Supporting Documentation will be attached in a separate field alongside the SciENcv Current and Pending (Other) Support document when submitting via the Just-In-Time, RPPR, or Prior Approval modules in Commons. Previously, this was appended to the Other Support form.

Supporting documentation includes, “…copies of contracts specific to senior/key-personnel foreign appointments and/or employment with a foreign institution for all foreign activities and resources that are reported in Other Support.”

• All supporting documentation must be translated to English prior to submission to NIH.  It is the PI/department’s responsibility to provide the translated documentation to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) or Contract and Grant Administration (CGA) prior to submission. 
  • NIH will accept machine-read translations (e.g. Google Translate)

What to include as supporting documentation:

• Appointment letters or employment agreements with non-domestic entities.
• If you are included in grants/contracts that are received by the non-domestic entity you have an appointment with, these grants/contracts need to be provided.
• Agreements from non-domestic entities for resources such as, lab space, access to personnel, equipment, or any in-kind resources.

What to exclude as supporting documentation:

• Sponsored project awards to MSU from non-domestic entities. This does not include non-domestic employment or appointment agreements.
• Supporting documentation does not need to be provided for completed support.

---

Submitting Other Support information at the Just-in-Time stage:

1. Typically, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) receives notice of the JIT request, and will contact the PI and Research Administrator (RA) to inform them of who in OSP will assist with review and submission.
2. OSP will provide a list of key personnel that need to provide Current and Pending (Other) Support.
3. PI/RA will collect up-to-date Current and Pending (Other) Support documents using SciENcv, from all Senior/Key Personnel included in the application. 
   • Each key person must electronically certify their respective Current and Pending (Other) Support form in SciENcv and send the non-flattened file to the lead PI/RA. 
     • OSP suggests that MSU key personnel provide a draft Current and Pending (Other) Support form for review prior to certifying. OSP will compare information on the form with data that is in KR, which may require updates to the form.
   • When using SciENcv to create the Current and Pending (Other) Support document, do not flatten the PDF once certified and downloaded from SciENcv (unless otherwise noted in the Application Guide or NOFO instructions).
   •   Supporting documentation (copies of contracts specific to senior/key-personnel foreign appointments and/or employment with a foreign institution for all foreign activities and sources) reported with Current and Pending (Other) Support are not added in SciENcv.  They will be added as separate flattened attachments in eRA JIT, RPPR, and Prior Approval modules.
4. PI/RA notifies OSP that JIT materials are ready for final review and submission.
5. OSP will review based on the criteria provided in the Roles and Responsibilities chart, submit JIT, and send confirmation to the PI and/or RA.

---

Roles & Responsibilities for the MSU Other Support Process:

New! NIH will require the SciENcv Common Form for the Biographical Sketch and NIH Biographical Supplement (in a single user interface and attached as a single PDF file) for applications due on or after January 25^th, 2026 NOT-OD-26-018 outlines the new Biographical Sketch requirements and certifications.

For applications submitted prior to this date, use the current NIH Biographical Sketch template.

Key points:

• The Common Form Biographical Sketch and Biographical Supplement (Personal Statement, Contributions to Science, and Honors) will be populated in SciENcv and attached as a single, certified PDF on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form.  The certified form should not be flattened prior to attaching in Kuali Research or ASSIST, unless indicated in the solicitation or agency guidance (e.g. NIH training grants require some biosketches to be flattened).  Please attend to guidance concerning file names in Format Attachments, File Names.  
• Senior/key personnel (not their delegates) must digitally certify in SciENcv that the information provided is current, accurate, and complete, and that they are not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program (MFTRP).
• NIH will enforce the use of the SciENcv Common Form in eRA Commons through system validations.
• All senior/key personnel listed on an application must have an ORCID iD, and this must be linked to their eRA Commons Personal Profile and in SciENcv.  Senior/key personnel will need to confirm their ORCID iD is displayed in the Persistent Identifier section of the Common Forms.
• There are no page limits for the NIH Biographical Sketch PDF output from SciENcv, however, there are character limits for the Biographical Supplement (see table in NOT-OD-26-018).
• For NIH Training grants – proposed mentors and training faculty members included in the "Participating Faculty Biosketches" attachment, must be completed in SciENcv and combined into a single PDF file and flatten it for submission.
• Hyperlinking is conditionally allowed.  The Biographical Sketch must follow the NIH Policy on Use of Hypertext in NIH Grant Applications.

---

Who Must Report:

• All Senior/Key Personnel and Other Significant Contributors.

---

When to Report:

• At the proposal stage, within an application.
• During an award, if the following changes occur:
  • A request to NIH for approval to change the PI, must include a biosketch for the replacement PI.
  • Within the Research Performance Progress Report if disclosing that there are new Senior/Key Personnel or Other Significant Contributors added to the project.

---

What to Report:

For detailed information on what to disclose to NIH, please review the Common Form instructions, NIH Disclosure Table and see the notable changes for the Biographical Sketch table provided in NOT-OD-26-018.

---

Additional Resources:

• NIH has an FAQ that addresses questions concerning the transition to the Common Forms
• NIH’s Policy and Compliance page discusses the adoption of the Common Forms for Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending (Other) Support
• Familiarize yourself with the Common Forms by setting up your SciENcv account and reviewing a Common Form Biographical Sketch preview document created by NIH

New! For applications submitted on or after May 25, 2026, to comply with NOT-OD-26-017, senior/key personnel listed on an NIH grant application must certify at the time of application submission that they have completed Research Security (RS) training within 12 months of the date of application submission.  Individuals will certify this through the Biographical Sketch in SciENcv.

Prior to May 25, 2026, to comply with NOT-OD-25-133, Research Security training is required for all Senior/Key Personnel prior to submission of NIH Just-In-Time materials and progress reports.

For information on how to register for training, please visit MSU's Research Security Training webpage.

You can check someone's training status in KR by looking at the COI Disclosure Information table – we recommend checking in the Institutional Proposal document and clicking the sync button in order to pull in the most up-to-date information.

---

How to comply with this new requirement:

• MSU employees – can register to take MSU’s research security training in the Ability Learning Management System (see registration instructions below). See the Research Security Training website for instructions on how to register.  Faculty that are actively proposing to or have federal awards, will be automatically assigned RS training as of December 2025./li>
• Subawardees – use the updated Subrecipient Commitment Form to gather the Other Support Training and Policy certification for Senior/Key Personnel employed by the subrecipient. The Subrecipient Commitment Form must be received from subawardee entities prior to proposal submission to verify they have agreed and comply with the requirements of NOT-OD-25-133.
  • Link to the MSU Simplified Subrecipient Commitment Form.
  • Link to the HFH+MSU HS Simplified Subrecipient Commitment Form.
• Non-MSU Covered Individuals (CI) – For other Senior/Key Personnel that are not part of a subaward, the individual must send their certificate of completion for Research Security Training.  Training options are:
  • Complete the four modules on the NSF Research Security Training website.
  • Provide the certificate of completion from the individual’s home institution training.
  • Provide the certificate of completion from the CITI Research Security Training.

The MSU department/college will be responsible for retaining a copy of the Non-MSU CI’s certification of completion.  OSP suggests that the certificate of completion be attached to the Proposal Development document for record keeping.

UPDATE 10/29/24: The National Science Foundation released version 24-1 of their Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) in February 2024.The new PAPPG contains updated guidance in relation to Current and Pending (Other) Support and Biographical Sketches

Each individual designated as a senior/key person must prepare, save, certify, and submit their Current and Pending (Other) support through a SciENcv Support form, which will generate an NSF compliant PDF version of the current and pending (other) support to be submitted as a part of their Research.gov proposal or JIT.

The NSF disclosure table entitled, NSF Pre-award and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support, helps determine what to disclose. The link includes archived versions of the disclosure table; please make sure to view the current version.

---

Special Considerations:

Consulting activities must be disclosed on the common form when any of the following scenarios apply:

• The consulting activity will require the senior/key person to perform research as part of the consulting activity;
• The consulting activity does not involve performing research, but is related to the senior/key person’s research portfolio and may have the ability to impact funding, alter time or effort commitments, or otherwise impact scientific integrity; or
• The consulting entity has provided a contract that requires the senior/key person to conceal or withhold confidential financial or other ties between the senior/key person and the entity, irrespective of the duration of the engagement.

International contracts and collaborations: Senior/key persons are required to disclose contracts associated with participation in programs sponsored by foreign governments, instrumentalities, or entities including foreign government talent recruitment programs. Senior/key personnel must also report other foreign government-sponsored or affiliated activities. In accordance with OSTP policy and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, individuals are prohibited from being a party in a malign foreign talent recruitment program. MSU has created a matrix that helps faculty know if a sponsorship by an international entity is problematic.

In-Kind: disclose ALL in-kind contributions with an estimated dollar value of $5000 or more and that require a commitment of the individual’s time. An in-kind contribution is a non-cash contribution provided by an external entity that directly supports the individuals’ research and development efforts. An in-kind contribution may include but is not limited to: real property; laboratory space; equipment; data or data sets; supplies; other expendable property; goods and services; employee or student resources. In-kind contributions with an estimated value of less than $5000 need not be reported.

---

Certifications:

The Current and Pending (Other) Support documents require the individual to certify prior to proposal submission that the information provided is accurate, current, and complete, and that the individual is not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program.

(i) William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, Section 223(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. §6605(a)(1)): In accordance with Section 223(a)(1) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (42 U.S.C. § 6605(a)(1)), each individual identified as a senior/key person is required to certify in SciENcv that the information provided in the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support documents are accurate, current, and complete.

Senior/key personnel are required to update their Current and Pending (Other) Support disclosures prior to award, and at any subsequent time the agency determines appropriate during the term of the award. See additional information on NSF Disclosure Requirements in Chapter II.B.

(ii) Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs: Pursuant to Section 10632 (42 U.S.C. § 19232), each identified as senior/key person must certify prior to proposal submission that they are not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program and annually thereafter for the duration of the award.

Each individual designated as a senior/key person must prepare, save, certify, and submit their Biographical Sketch through a SciENcv Support form, which will generate an NSF compliant PDF version of the biographical sketch to be submitted as a part of their Research.gov proposal or JIT. There is now no page limit to the Biographical Sketch Common Form, and the Synergistic Activities disclosure has been removed from the biographical sketch form. A one-page document that lists up to five distinct examples the individual’s professional and scholarly activities is now a separate attachment.

---

Certifications:

The Biographical Sketch documents require the individual to certify prior to proposal submission that the information provided is accurate, current, and complete, and that the individual is not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program.

I certify that the information provided is current, accurate, and complete. This includes but is not limited to information related to domestic and foreign appointments and positions.

I also certify that, at the time of submission, I am not a party in a malign foreign talent recruitment program.

Misrepresentations and/or omissions may be subject to prosecution and liability pursuant to, but not limited to, 18 U.S.C. §§ 287, 1001, 1031 and 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733 and 3802.

Effective October 10, 2025, NSF requires all Senior/Key Personnel to complete research security training within 12 months prior to proposal submission. The training addresses cybersecurity, international collaboration, foreign interference, and rules of proper use of funds, disclosure, conflict of commitment, and conflict of interest.

As a prime applicant, MSU’s Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must certify that each Senior/Key Person listed on an application has completed research security training, retain records of Research Security Training compliance, and this requirement must be extended to all subrecipients.

---

How to comply with this new requirement:

• MSU employees – can register to take MSU’s research security training in the Ability Learning Management System (see registration instructions below). See the Research Security Training website for instructions on how to register.
• Subawardees – use the updated Subrecipient Commitment Form to gather the Research Security Training certifications for Covered Individuals employed by the subrecipient.  The Subrecipient Commitment Form must be received from subawardee entities prior to proposal submission to verify they have agreed and comply with Research Security Training requirements.
  • Link to the MSU Simplified Subrecipient Commitment Form.
  • Link to the HFH+MSU HS Simplified Subrecipient Commitment Form.
• Non-MSU Covered Individuals (CI) – For other Senior/Key Personnel that are not part of a subaward, the individual must send their certificate of completion for Research Security Training.  Training options are:
  • Complete the four modules on the NSF Research Security Training website.
  • Provide the certificate of completion from the individual’s home institution training.
  • Provide the certificate of completion from the CITI Research Security Training.

The MSU department/college will be responsible for retaining a copy of the Non-MSU CI’s certification of completion.  OSP suggests that the certificate of completion be attached to the Proposal Development document for record keeping.

On June 29^th, 2023 the Secretary of Defense issued a Policy for Risk-Based Security Reviews of Fundamental Research. Included in this policy is a decision matrix which pertains to fundamental research conducted by academic institutions. While DoD encourages open international collaborations to allow DoD to maintain a competitive research advantage, it will also enact risk-based security reviews of fundamental research projects to comply with NSPM-33 on every project selected for award based on technical merit.

The DoD Policy decision matrix states that after 8/9/24, institutions must have policies prohibiting MFTRP participation. Of note, Covered Individuals who participate in MFTRP are prohibited from DARPA funding.

Current and Pending disclosures are used by DoD by the proposing institution for all “covered individuals”* listed in a fundamental research project. Annual reviews of funded projects will be conducted using the Research Performance Progress Report.

Of special interest to DoD is:

• Participation in foreign talent recruitment programs, particularly with a Foreign Country of Concern (FCOC)
• Acceptance of any funds from FCOCs
• Patents arising from US-funded research filed in a foreign country before it is file in the U.S.
• Academic, professional, or institutional appointments or positions with a foreign government connected entity where monetary reward, non-monetary reward, or other quid-pro-quo obligation is involved.
• Academic, professional, or institutional appointments or positions with a foreign government connected entity wherenon-monetary reward, non-monetary reward, or other quid-pro-quo obligation is involved.

Please note that The Department of Defense (DoD) has several branches and offices, and MSU tracks our funding by the specific agency or office within DoD. DoD agencies may have different requirements for Current and Pending support at proposal time, but it is anticipated that DoD agencies will use Common forms. Generally the following information is currently required:

• For all previous (award period of performance within the past 5 years), current, and pending research support, include:
  • Title of project; project number
  • Supporting agency including name and address of the funding agency’s procuring Contracts/Grants Officer
  • Specific Aims or tasks; brief description of the project’s goals
  • Performance period
  • Effort: number of person months per year to be devoted to each project
  • Total award amount for the entire award period
  • If applicable, identify where the proposed project overlaps with other existing and pending research projects. learly state if there is no overlap.
  • Report all current projects and activities that involve senior/key personnel, even if the support received is only in-kind (e.g. office/laboratory space, equipment, supplies, employees).

*DoD defines Covered Individual: An individual at an extramural research institution who contributes significantly to the design and/or execution of a fundamental research project that is, or if selected for award would be, funded, in whole or in part, by the DoD, and who is considered essential to the successful performance of the fundamental research project. Covered individuals include those listed as key personnel in fundamental research project proposals, such as the principal investigator or co-principal investigators.

Department of Defense (DoD) has several branches and offices. DoD agencies have different requirements for the Biographical Sketch at proposal time. The Electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) has a biographical sketch template that is to be used for Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) as well as United States Special Operation Command (SOCOM) proposals but generally the following is required for each person who will contribute significantly to the proposed research project. Page limitations will be specified in the Program Announcement.

• List all positions and scientific appointments, both domestic and foreign, held by senior/key personnel that are relevant to an application, including affiliations with foreign entities or governments (including any Federal Government Advisory Committees). This includes titled academic, professional, or institutional appointments whether or not remuneration is received, and whether full-time, part-time, or voluntary (including adjunct, visiting, or honorary).
• List in chronological order the titles, all authors, and complete references to all publications during the past 3 years and to representative earlier publications pertinent to this application. If the list of publications in the last 3 years exceeds 2 pages, select the most pertinent publications.

While Research Security Training for Covered Individuals (including subawardees and non-MSU collaborators) is not yet required, we expect to receive more information soon. We will update this information as soon as it is available.

New! For all DOE and NNSA funding opportunities that include research, development, and demonstration activities published on or after January 1, 2026, DOE Office of Science (SC) is now requiring use of the Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) Common Form for Current and Pending Support.

Potentially excluded from this change are Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) that exclusively fund:

• *Conferences, workshops, and other technical meetings.
• *Education/outreach projects.

---

Who must complete:

All Covered Individuals* listed on a project must complete and certify their Current and Pending Support form using SciENcv.

*Covered Individuals – DOE defines as an individual who contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the development or execution of the scope of work for a project and is designated as a covered individual by DOE.

At a minimum this includes the following roles: principal investigator (PI); project director (PD); co-principal investigator (Co-PI); co-project director (Co-PD); project manager; and any individual regardless of title that is functionally performing as a PI, PD, Co-PI, Co-PD, or project manager.

• Status as a consultant, graduate student (master's or PhD), or postdoctoral associate does not automatically disqualify a person from being designated as a “covered individual” if they meet the definition above.
• Individuals committing no measurable effort, or “as-needed” effort are not automatically exempt from being designated as a covered individual.
• The prime applicant's listing of an individual in the “Senior/Key Person” section of an SF-424(R&R) budget serves as an acknowledgement that DOE designates that person as a covered individual.
• DOE may further designate covered individuals during award negotiations or the award period of performance.

---

Current and Pending Support forms are required at:

• Proposal stage – Follow the instructions provided in the Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the proposal submission.
• Award stage –
  • Adding new Senior/key personnel – If there are changes or additions to Senior/key personnel for the project, a Current and Pending Support form for the new individual must be sent to DOE and prior approval must be received prior to the individual participating on the project.
  • Changes to previously submitted Current and Pending Support – Changes to a previously submitted Current and Pending Support form must be submitted within 30 calendar days after the end of the quarterly reporting period in which the change occurred, or on the timeline provided in the award terms and conditions.

---

What to include on Current and Pending Support forms:

Caution: DOE NOFO's may have different requirements for Current and Pending Support. For example, most NOFOs only require current (active) and pending support to be reported, however, some ARPA-E solicitations also require disclosure of the past five (5) years of support. The below information is commonly requested, but please follow the specific instructions included in the NOFO.

• For every activity, list the following items:
  • Persistent Identifier of the Covered Individual (e.g. ORCID iD).
  • Proposal/active project title: The title of the award or activity. If the title of the award or activity is not descriptive, add a brief description of the research being performed that would identify any overlaps or synergies with the proposed research.
  • Status of support.
  • The award or other identifying number.
  • The sponsor of the activity or the source of funding.
  • The primary place of project performance.
  • The award period (start date — end date).
  • The total cost or value of the award or activity, including direct and indirect costs. For pending proposals, provide the total amount of requested funding.
  • The person-months of effort per year being dedicated to the award or activity.
  • Overall objectives of the project.
• If required to identify overlap, duplication of effort, or synergistic efforts, append a description of the other award or activity to the current and pending support.
• DOE requires research gifts to be disclosed on current and pending support, which is different than most other federal agencies.
• DOE requires consulting activities to be disclosed when the consulting activity involves research, and/or is related to the covered individual’s research portfolio, or when the consulting entity has provided a contract that requires the covered individual to conceal or withhold confidential financial or other ties between them and the entity.
• Some funding opportunities may require travel that is supported/paid by an external entity to attend a conference or workshop located in a foreign country of concern and/or supported by an entity located in a foreign country of concern be disclosed in the in-kind section of the Current and Pending Support form.
• Current and Pending (other) Support forms will likely be attached to the Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form in an application, but please verify the requirements in the NOFO.

---

Addendum:

Some DOE NOFOs or Award instructions require a Current and Pending (Other) Support Addendum. The Addendum is available in SciENcv at the bottom of the Current and Pending Support form.

Addendum questions may include the following:

1. Have you started or spun-out any companies, whether foreign, domestic, publicly traded, or non-publicly traded?
2. Do you have an affiliation with an institution located in an FCOC?
3. Within the past seven years, have you collaborated with individuals at an FCOC site or used facilities or instrumentation at an FCOC site? Collaborations do not include routine workshops or conferences hosted in FCOCs.
4. Do you currently serve, or have you ever served, in the military or intelligence service or police force of an FCOC?
5. Within the past seven years, have been offered the following by an FCOC:
   1. Future compensation;
   2. Complimentary foreign travel, lodging, and/or per diem;
   3. This non de minimus value (i.e., when aggregated, exceeds $5,000);
   4. Honorific titles;
   5. Career advancement opportunities;
   6. Other types of renumeration or consideration.
6. With the past seven years have you received any FCOC source of support, whether from a public or private entity or individual? Sources of support include:
   1. Salary and any payment for services no otherwise identified as salary (e.g., consulting fees, honoraria, paid authorship);
   2. Equity interest (e.g., any stock, stock option, or other ownership interest);
   3. Income related to intellectual property rights and interests (e.g., patients, copyrights);
   4. Reimbursed or sponsored travel (i.e., that which is paid on behalf of the covered individual and not reimbursed to the covered individual so that the exact monetary value may not be readily available);
   5. Current and Pending (other) support as defined in the National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 Implementation Appendix Definitions;
   6. Non-monetary support of goods, services, or expertise;
   7. Payments from an FCOC to family or friends on the covered individual's behalf or held in any other account on their behalf (promise of future access).
7. To the best of your knowledge, are you an inventor on a patent application filed in an FCOC, without a companion US patent application?

---

Supporting Documentation:

Related to disclosures on current and pending support, DOE has indicated that details of any obligations, contractual or otherwise, to any program, entity, or organization sponsored by a foreign government must be provided on request to either the applicant institution or DOE.

New! For funding opportunities published on or after January 1, 2026, DOE is requiring the Biographical Sketch to follow the Common Form format and be prepared using Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv). Older solicitations may require a different format, so please read your solicitation carefully!

---

Who must complete:

All individuals listed in the application as Senior/Key Personnel must include their biographical sketch form. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) may expand the definition of “Covered Individual” to include additional roles. Please review and follow the requirements of the NOFO.

---

What to include on Biographical Sketch forms:

Caution: The information below is guidance based on what is commonly requested, but please follow the specific instructions included in the NOFO.

• A Persistent Identifier (e.g. ORCID iD) is required for Research and Development projects.
• Professional Preparation: Include undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral training - provide institution, major/area, degree and year.
• Professional appointments and positions outside of the primary organization should be reported for up to three (3) years from the date of submission for Office of Science projects and potentially up to 10 years for programs supported by GFO, NETL or ID, ARPA-E, and NSSA. Beginning with the current position, list professional/academic positions in chronological order with a brief description. List academic, professional or institutional appointments, foreign or domestic, whether remuneration is received, and, whether full-time, part-time, or voluntary. Only include appointments and positions that are outside of the individual’s primary organization unless the NOFO indicates otherwise.
• Products: Provide a list of up to 10 products most closely related to the proposed project. For each publication, identify the names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article title, book or journal title, volume number, page numbers, year of publication, and website address if available electronically. Patents, copyrights and software systems developed may be provided in addition to or substituted for publications. An abbreviated style such as the Physical Review Letters (PRL) convention for citations (list only the first author) may be used for publications with more than 10 authors.

---

Certifications:

Individuals are required to certify their Biographical Sketch Form within SciENcv and must attach the certified form to the Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form in an application.

On October 7, 2024 Department of Energy released FAL 2025-02 which requires that each Covered Individual* listed on an application certify that they have completed research security training within the 12 months preceding the application date.Research Security Training is currently required for some solicitations and will be mandatory for all DOE applications effective May 1, 2025.

As a prime applicant, MSU must certify that each Covered Individual listed on an application has completed research security training, retain records of Research Security Training compliance, and we must extend this requirement to any and all subrecipients.

• MSU employees – can register to take MSU's research security training in the Ability Learning Management System (see registration instructions below). See the Research Security Training website for instructions on how to register.
• Subawardees – use the updated Subrecipient Commitment Form to gather the Research Security Training certifications for Covered Individuals employed by the subrecipient.The Subrecipient Commitment Form must be received from subawardee entities prior to proposal submission, to verify they have agreed and comply with Research Security Training requirements.
  • Link to the MSU Simplified Subrecipient Commitment Form.
  • Link to the HFH+MSU HS Simplified Subrecipient Commitment Form.
• Non-MSU Covered Individuals (CI) – For other Covered Individuals that are not part of a subaward, the individual must send their certificate of completion for Research Security Training.Training options are:
  • Complete the four modules on the NSF Research Security Training website.
  • Provide the certificate of completion from the individual’s home institution training.
  • Provide the certificate of completion from the CITI Research Security Training.

The MSU department/college will be responsible for retaining a copy of the Non-MSU CI’s certification of completion.OSP suggests that the certificate of completion be attached to the Proposal Development document for record keeping.

Effective October 1, 2024 NASA requires the Common Disclosure Form for each senior/key person preparing and certifying a current and pending/other support form as part of their proposal. Rather than require use of SciENcv to create the forms, NASA has provided a form template for use. The form template with instructions is available for download on the NASA Grant Policy and Compliance website. There is no page limit to the current and pending support form, and it is the Senior/key person’s responsibility to include all required information on the form. For guidance on what to include, see the NASA Pre-award and Post-award Disclosure Requirements table.

Current and Pending Support disclosure forms must be submitted for all Covered Individuals, which NASA designates as:

• PIs (regardless of level of effort), any CoPIs (regardless of level of effort), and only Co-Is proposing to spend ten percent or more of their time in any given year on a NASA-funded award.
• NASA funding organizations may designate additional personnel categories as covered individuals on a project-by-project basis, and these designations will be explicitly stated in all Notice of Funding Opportunities.

The certification language on the Current and Pending form is as follows:

I certify that the information provided is current, accurate, and complete. This includes, but is not limited to, information related to current, pending, and other support (both foreign and domestic) as defined in 42 U.S.C.§6605.

I also certify that, at the time of submission, I am not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program.

Misrepresentations and/or omissions may be subject to prosecution and liability pursuant to, but not limited to, 18 U.S.C. §§287, 1001, 1031 and 31 U.S.C. §§3729-3733 and 3802.

Signature:

Date:

Persistent Identifiers: Publicly available Science Mission Directorate–funded data collections must be citable using a persistent identifier. A commonly used identifier is ORCID iD. We recommend individuals use their ORCID iD, or this field may also be left blank.

Digital Signatures: Individuals will need to include a digital signature on their current and pending form. Note that a printed copy of a submitted proposal in NSPIRES will not contain the digital signature. Units are responsible for making sure digital signatures are kept on file. OSP would highly recommend that biographical sketches and current and pending documents with digital signatures are attached to the proposal in KR for record keeping purposes. To be acceptable to NASA, the date of the signature must be within the past 12 months from when the document is submitted to NASA.

Changes to previously submitted Current and Pending Support: Changes to a previously submitted Current and Pending Support form must be submitted to the NASA Program Officer within 30 calendar days per their award’s terms and conditions.

Effective October 1, 2024 NASA requires the Common Disclosure Form for each senior/key person preparing and certifying a biographical sketch as part of their proposal. Rather than require use of SciENcv to create the forms, NASA has provided a form template for use. The form template with instructions is available for download on the NASA Grant Policy and Compliance website. There is no page limit to the biographical sketch form, and it is the Senior/key person’s responsibility to include all required information on the form. For guidance on what to include, see the disclosure table.

Biographical Sketch forms must be submitted for all Covered Individuals, which NASA designates as:

• PI (regardless of level of effort), any CoPI (regardless of level of effort), and only Co-Is proposing to spend ten percent or more of their time in any given year on a NASA-funded award.
• NASA funding organizations may designate additional personnel categories as covered individuals on a project-by-project basis, and these designations will be explicitly stated in all Notice of Funding Opportunities.

The certification language on the Biographical Sketch form is as follows:

I certify that the information provided is current, accurate, and complete. This includes but is not limited to information related to domestic and foreign appointments and positions.

 

I also certify that, at the time of submission, I am not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program.

Misrepresentations and/or omissions may be subject to prosecution and liability pursuant to, but not limited to, 18 U.S.C. §§ 287, 1001, 1031 and 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733 and 3802.

 

Signature:

Date:

Persistent Identifiers: Individuals completing the form have the option to provide a persistent identifier. A commonly used identifier is ORCID iD. We recommend individuals use their ORCID iD, or this field may also be left blank.

Digital Signatures: Senior/key persons will need to include a digital signature on their biographical sketch. Note that a printed copy of a submitted proposal in NSPIRES will not contain the digital signature. Units are responsible for making sure digital signatures are kept on file. OSP would highly recommend that biographical sketches and current and pending documents with digital signatures are attached to the proposal in KR for record keeping purposes. To be acceptable to NASA, the date of the signature must be within the past 12 months from when the document is submitted to NASA

While Research Security Training for Covered Individuals (including subawardees and non-MSU collaborators) is not yet required, we expect to receive more information soon. We will update this information as soon as it is available.

The USDA General Terms and Conditions for Federal Awards, effective December 31, 2025, requires all individuals connected with a research project to complete a  Current and Pending (Other) Support document in SciENcv using the Common Form format.  The form should be completed at proposal time and will need to be updated annually, or at any time that USDA deems appropriate during the lifetime of the award. 

 Unlike other federal agencies, USDA requires all employees who work on the research award to submit a Current and Pending Support form. 

Disclosures should include all resources made available, or expected to be made available, in support of and/or related to all of their professional R&D efforts, including resources provided directly to the individual rather than through the research organization, and regardless of whether or not they have monetary value (e.g., even if the support received is only in-kind, such as office/laboratory space, equipment, supplies, or employees). This includes resources and/or financial support from all foreign and domestic entities, including but not limited to, financial support for laboratory personnel, and participation of student and visiting researchers supported by other sources of funding.  

The common form format requires individuals to certify that they are not party to a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program.

Individuals must provide any supporting documentation, including copies of contracts, grants, or any other agreement, specific to foreign appointments, employment with a foreign institution, participation in a foreign talent recruitment program, and other information reported as current and pending support.

The USDA General Terms and Conditions for Federal Awards, effective December 31, 2025, requires all individuals connected with a research project to complete a  'Biographical Sketch' document in SciENcv using the Common Form format.  The form should be completed at proposal time and will need to be updated annually, or at any time that USDA deems appropriate during the lifetime of the award. 

 Unlike other federal agencies, USDA requires all employees who work on the research award to submit a Biographical Sketch. 

Applicants are asked to disclose annually all academic, professional, or institutional appointments and positions whether renumerations is received and whether that appointment is full-time, part-time, or voluntary (including adjunct, visiting, or honorary).

The USDA General Terms and Conditions for Federal Awards, effective December 31, 2025, requires the award recipient to certify that individuals working on the award have completed research security training within the 12-month period immediately preceding starting work on the award, and must recertify annually for the duration of the award.  

As a prime applicant, MSU must extend this requirement to any and all subrecipients.

How to comply with this new requirement:

• MSU employees – can register to take MSU’s research security training in the Ability Learning Management System (see the Research Security Training website for instructions on how to register).
• Subawardees – use the updated Subrecipient Commitment Form to gather the Research Security Training certification for employees of the subrecipient.  The Subrecipient Commitment Form must be received from subawardee entities to verify they have agreed and comply with Research Security Training requirements. 
  • Link to the MSU Simplified Subrecipient Commitment Form.
• Non-MSU Covered Individuals (CI) – For other non-MSU Personnel that are not part of a subaward, the individual must send their certificate of completion for Research Security Training.  Training options are: 
  • Complete the four modules on the NSF Research Security Training website.
  • Provide the certificate of completion from the individual’s home institution training.
  • Provide the certificate of completion from the CITI Research Security Training.

The MSU department/college will be responsible for retaining a copy of the Non-MSU CI’s certification of completion.  OSP suggests that the certificate of completion be attached to the Proposal Development document for record keeping.