Dear Colleagues:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced yesterday via NOT-OD-26-079 that the leniency period previously communicated in NOT-OD-26-033 will end on May 7, 2026. Effective May 8, 2026, the use of Common Forms for the Biographical Sketch, Current and Pending (Other) Support, and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement will be required for all application due dates, as well as Just-In-Time (JIT), Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR), and Prior Approval submissions.
During the remainder of the leniency period, NIH will continue to issue system warnings but will not withdraw applications that contain the NIH Biosketch, NIH Other Support format pages, or non-compliant Common Forms. Beginning May 8, 2026, those warnings will convert to hard errors that will prevent any submission not using compliant Common Forms.
Earlier this week, NIH issued NOT-OD-26-072, updating its implementation of the Uniform Administrative Requirements for Federal Financial Assistance. NIH is returning to the prior framework of allowing a 10% de minimis indirect cost rate for eligible entities that do not have a negotiated rate.
NIH has also recently issued the additional policy notices listed below. If you have any questions, please contact your Federal Contracts and Grants Officer at https://research.uci.edu/about-or/contact/staff-by-dept-assignment/ or reach me directly at warnerj@uci.edu.
- Continuation of Modifications to Peer Review Practices
(NOT-OD-26-069)
National Institutes of Health
“This notice is to provide NIH’s extramural community with information on the continuation of select peer review practices implemented following a lapse of appropriations in 2025.”
- Implementation of Changes for Basic Experimental Studies with Humans
(NOT-OD-26-067)
National Institutes of Health
NIH will no longer characterize BESH as clinical trials. In this policy notice, NIH outlines how this will impact Clinical Trial Notice of Funding Opportunities.