We have been preparing our community for the May 25, 2025 start date that would have required NIH applicants to use the Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) to create and submit biosketches and Current and Pending Other Support documents. SciENcv is an online profile system for researchers involved with federal research funding. The original implementation date of May 25, 2025 has been postponed by NIH. They will issue future Guide Notices outlining the new effective date and additional implementation details will be finalized. The Medical Center Library will provide an update when the new implementation date has been released.
Note: NIH applicants and recipients must continue to use the current NIH Biosketch and Other Support format pages for applications, Just-in-TIme (JIT) and RPPRs.
Key Changes:
- Mandatory Use of SciENcv: NIH will require SciENcv for completing and certifying Common Forms (Biosketch, Current & Pending Other Support, etc.) to produce digitally certified PDFs for submissions.
- New Biographical Sketch Supplement: Narrative sections (e.g., Personal Statement, Contributions to Science, Honors) will move to a new NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement available in SciENcv.
- ORCID Requirement: All Senior/Key Personnel must use an ORCID ID to access SciENcv and eRA Commons. For more details, visit the eRA ORCID ID FAQ page.
How to Prepare: Postponement of the May 25 implementation date has given you more time to prepare! While you are waiting for the new implementation date, you can:
- Learn to Create a Biosketch: Check out Use SciENcv for Your Biosketch! and New Requirements for the NIH BioSketch (new video tutorial). These will be updated as needed when the new forms are available.
- Log into SciENcv: Use your eRA Commons profile from the SciENcv portal page or log into MyNCBI via PubMed. From the upper right corner, log in using eRA Commons (recommended), login.gov, ORCID ID, or Duke University credentials.
- Link Accounts and Add Delegates: In MyNCBI, go to Account Settings. Here you can:
- Link Accounts: Connect your ORCID and other accounts.
- Add Delegates: Assign delegates to help manage your bibliography and SciENcv profiles.
- Add Publications: Import publications into your biosketch in SciENcv via MyBibliography (for PubMed publications) or ORCID (for non-PubMed publications). Learn about MyBibliography here and how to add publications to your ORCID record here.
- Get an ORCID ID: Sign up at ORCID and create your profile. If you already have an ORCID ID, remember or recover your ORCID password, log into your account, update your profile, and check your publications. Remember, you can use your ORCID profile to populate your biosketch in SciENcv, saving time and effort.
- Link ORCID ID: Connect your ORCID ID to your eRA Commons profile.
- Start Early: Use the NSF format in SciENcv to create a biosketch now. You can import it into SciENcv as an existing document once the new NIH template is available and it will transfer the data into the new format.
Need Assistance?
- The Medical Center Library is offering SciENcv office hours on Fridays from 12 Noon to 1 PM. Register on our website under the training & consulting tab.
- Keep up to date by checking in with NIH’s Biosketch Format Pages and the Changes Coming to NIH Applications and Peer Review in 2025 page.
- If you have questions about using ORCID IDs or SciENcv to create your biosketch, please email a librarian at the Medical Center Library at medical-librarian@duke.edu.
- For questions about the new NIH forms (FORMS-I), contact the myRESEARCHnavigators using the Research Help Widget in myRESEARCHhome or email myresearchnavigators@duke.edu.