Posted: April 7, 2021

Upcoming Changes to the Biographical Sketch and Other Support Format Page for Due Dates on or after May 25, 2021

NIH issued an important notice effective May 25, 2021 (NOT-OD-21-073), updating their expectations for disclosure of Other Support. Two changes are particularly noteworthy:

  • Senior/key personnel will be expected to sign their own Other Support forms, certifying that they have disclosed all sources of support, regardless of whether it has monetary value and regardless of whether it is based at Penn State or received external to Penn State. A checklist for completing your Other Support form can be found here. NIH has also provided a new sample Other Support form, which can be found here. Additional resources can be found here.
  • For Other Support submissions that include foreign activities and resources, senior/key personnel must provide copies of contracts, grants, or other agreements specific to foreign appointments and/or employment with a foreign institution. If these agreements are not in English, we must provide translated copies. (Machine-read translations are acceptable.) This supporting documentation must be provided as part of the Other Support PDF following the Other Support Format page. Please note that Penn State will have to review these agreements prior to uploading them into an NIH application.

Please work with your College Research Office to update your Other Support form in anticipation of this May 25 implementation date. If you have any contracts, grants, or other agreements related to a foreign appointment and/or employment with a foreign institution, please forward them to fa-osp@psu.edu for review. (Please forward these agreements as soon as possible, since it may take us some time to review everything prior to May 25.)