Reminder to PIs of the requirements of the Stevens Amendment to acknowledge NIH funding

The following information is directed to Principal Investigators that have NIH funding.  

NIH has received questions from investigators whether a foreign co-author on a publication that cites a NIH grant award automatically results in a foreign Component.   NIH has increased its oversight of foreign collaborations and in May 2026 released NIH NOT-OD-26-084 “Definition of Foreign Components”,  to provide clarification.

To support full transparency and acknowledgement of federal funding, recipients are reminded of the Stevens amendment requirements outlined in the NIH GPS 4.2.1. All NIH recipients must acknowledge Federal funding when issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid invitations, and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal money. Importantly, this requirement applies to all publications describing NIH-funded work. 

NIH presented to COGR in June 2026 on this topic and their presentation contained useful case study scenarios to help determine if a foreign co-author  would be considered a foreign component.  A copy of the presentation is attached.

NIH has a webpage dedicated to this topic:   Communicating and Acknowledging Federal Funding    Communicating and Acknowledging Federal Funding | Grants & Funding

Below are some of the highlights.

Requirements for Acknowledging NIH-Supported Research

The NIH grants policy statement outlines requirements for acknowledging Federal funding in the following products when describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with NIH funds:

  • research publications
  • press releases and other public statements
  • other publications or documents about research that is funded by NIH
  • requests for proposals and bid invitations
  • and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal money

These types of products must include the following three statements:

  1. A specific acknowledgment of NIH grant support, such as:
    “Research reported in this [publication/press release] was supported by [name of the Institute(s), Center, or other NIH offices] of the National Institutes of Health under award number [specific NIH grant number(s) in this format: R01GM987654].” (If you have more than one grant, only cite the grant(s) that supported the research described in the article or presentation.)
  2. An acknowledgement of the level of NIH funding that indicates:
    1. the percentage and dollar amounts of the total program or project costs financed with Federal money and
    2. the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs financed by nongovernmental sources.
  3. A disclaimer that says:
    “The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.”

Tips for When to Acknowledge NIH Funding

Recipients should only acknowledge NIH awards on publications and other statements when the activities that contributed to that publication:

  • Directly arise from the award, and
  • Are within the scope of the award being acknowledged

When considering whether acknowledgement is necessary, ask yourself:

  • Did the personnel activity supported by the award contribute to the publication?
  • Did the award support the conduct of experiments or the analysis of data that contributed to the publication?
  • Is there a clear and apparent link between the work described in the publication with the aims and objectives of the grant?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, cite the appropriate NIH support.

Foreign Component Discussion – COGR June 2026 – Final MGB

DOE Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment Policy

The Department of Energy (DOE) final rule on conflict of interest establishes mandatory standards for non-federal entities to identify, evaluate, resolve, and report conflicts of interest (COI), conflicts of commitment (COC), and organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) under 2 CFR part 910, subpart C. Published on July 16, 2026, the rule becomes effective on August 17, 2026, superseding the previous interim policy.

Key definitional and procedural points

“Covered individual” now turns on substantive contribution to a project’s scope of work plus DOE designation (PIs, PDs, Co-PIs, project managers, and anyone functioning in those roles, plus anyone for whom a current-and-pending-support disclosure or biosketch is submitted).

“Significant financial interest” retains the $5,000 aggregate threshold for public and non-public entities.

Training Mandate: Covered individuals must complete COI/COC training before taking part in DOE-funded projects and at least once every two years thereafter.

Reporting Timeline: New financial conflicts or conflicts of commitment must be reported as soon as practicable, but no later than 15 days after they arise.

NSF Prohibition on Collaborations with Restricted Entities

NSF issued a Dear Colleague letter, notifying the research community of a forthcoming policy prohibiting NSF funds from being expended on collaboration with entities on U.S. restricted parties lists.  NSF intends to implement this prohibition in Fiscal Year 2027

NSF plans to revise its current guidance to include the following:

  • NSF appropriated funds shall not be used for grants, contracts, other transactions or other assistance to an organization if the purpose is to conduct research in collaboration with restricted entities. This funding prohibition also extends to the employees of such restricted entities.
  • Senior/key personnel are prohibited from holding an appointment or position with, or receiving research support from, a restricted entity. Further, senior/key personnel are prohibited from collaborating with a restricted entity, or employee thereof, on research funded by their NSF award.

Once it is effective, organization Authorized Organizational Representatives (AORs) and senior/key personnel will be required to certify to this effect at the time of proposal submission.

NASA Research Security Training Requirement – August 5, 2026

Covered individuals listed on any research proposal for a grant or cooperative agreement submitted to NASA and the applying entities’ Authorized Organizational Representatives (AORs) will be required to comply with the certification requirements starting August 5, 2026.  Covered individuals including principal investigators and co-principal investigators (regardless of level of effort) and co-investigators proposing to spend ten percent or more of their time in any given year on a NASA-funded federal financial assistance award (grant or cooperative agreement).  These individuals must certify to NASA they have taken research security training prior to submission of proposals.

TrainTraq Course 2114875: Research Security Training will meet the training requirement.

NIH Is Replacing Letters of Support with Letters of Collaboration

NOT-OD-26-094 – July 27, 2026

As part of the NIH’s ongoing efforts to increase efficiency and minimize applicant burden, it is aligning its letter of support requirements in applications with the format currently used by the National Science Foundation (NSF). NIH letters of support will be replaced with letters of collaboration.

With the implementation of Forms J in Fiscal Year 2027, the NIH will no longer allow letters of support but will instead require letters of collaboration to document any collaborative relationships with individuals that are not identified in the application as senior/key personnel or other significant contributors. 

Letters designed to endorse the application without an intent to collaborate or provide material support will no longer be permitted in NIH grant applications.

An individual letter of collaboration must not exceed 100 words. NIH encourages applicants to use the following single-sentence format for letters of collaboration.

For all applications except for fellowships:

“If the application submitted by [Organization Name and with PD/PI Name] as Program Director/Principal Investigator entitled [Grant Application Title] is selected for funding by NIH, it is my intent to collaborate and/or commit resources as detailed in the application.”

NIH will revise the application forms along with instructions to replace “Letters of Support” with “Letters of Collaboration.” Further details will be issued prior to implementation. 

NASA Requirement to Use SciENcv for Biosketches and Current and Pending Support Forms

Beginning June 25, 2026, NASA-specific biographical sketch and current and pending (other) support forms are now available in SciENcv.  During the transition period from June 25 through August 31, 2026, applicants may submit disclosure forms using either: Microsoft Word fillable forms, or SciENcv-generated forms.

Starting September 1, 2026, all NASA grant and cooperative agreement proposals must use the NASA-specific SciENcv-developed forms. Word-based forms will no longer be accepted.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: SRS FINAL INVOICING PROCESS – MANUAL EXPENSE SUBMISSION DEADLINES

In order to greatly reduce the risk of invoicing errors and corresponding unreimbursed member project expenditures, SRS will no longer allow expenses to be included on the project final invoice within 7 business days of the final invoice due date. This required 7 day window will allow for final invoices to be accurately processed, approved by the PI and SRS post-award administration, and submitted to the sponsor. This new submission deadline will dramatically reduce the number of manual, last-minute expense additions that greatly increase the risk of incorrect final invoice submissions.

SRS Policy on Manual Expenses: SRS will bill only expenses recorded in FAMIS prior to 7 business days before the sponsor’s final invoice deadline.

VERIFY YOUR ERA COMMONS AND SCIENCV ACCOUNTS PRIOR TO YOUR NEXT SUBMISSION

Please take a few minutes to review your eRA Commons and SciENcv accounts now, well before your next submission deadline. We want to identify a specific technical issue early, as it could delay or jeopardize a strong proposal at a critical moment.

During a recent NIH submission, one of our investigator teams encountered a significant compliance issue: several team members were found to hold multiple active eRA Commons and SciENcv accounts. While a duplicate account might appear to be an administrative issue, it triggered validation errors in the federal portal. The team lost critical hours resolving it and nearly missed the hard deadline. This is exactly the kind of situation that is entirely preventable with a quick check today.

Federal portal requirements stipulate that each investigator maintains only one verified profile in eRA Commons and SciENcv. If you have moved between institutions or used various email addresses over your career, it is easy to accumulate duplicate accounts. Resolving these issues at the time of submission is significantly more time-consuming; addressing them today is straightforward. (resources: NIH-eRA; NIH-ORCID; USDA – NIFA, SciENcv)

Please complete these two steps before your next proposal cycle:

  • Step 1 — Check eRA Commons: Log in to the portal (https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus) and verify that you have only one active account. If you identify duplicates, contact the NIH eRA Help Desk immediately so they can merge or deactivate the extra profiles.
  • Step 2 — Link and verify SciENcv: Log in to SciENcv (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sciencv) to ensure your profile connects to that single, active eRA Commons account. Confirm that your ORCID iD is linked correctly. If you do not yet have an ORCID iD, registration is straightforward at https://orcid.org; federal sponsors are increasingly requiring it.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Proposal development requires substantial effort, and we are committed to ensuring that a resolvable technical issue does not impede your funding opportunities. We are available to support you through this process well in advance of your next deadline.

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Stipends, Tuition/Fees and Other Budgetary Levels Effective for Fiscal Year 2026

NOT-OD-26-044 – March 18, 2026

This Notice establishes stipend levels for fiscal year (FY) 2026 Kirschstein-NRSA awards for undergraduate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral trainees and fellows.   See NOT-OD-26-044: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Stipends, Tuition/Fees and Other Budgetary Levels Effective for Fiscal Year 2026 for the limits for each category.

Prior Approval Requirement for Changes to Domestic Subawards

NOT-OD-26-062 – March 25, 2026

This guide notice updates the NIH requirements for obtaining prior approval for changes to domestic subawards on all NIH grants and cooperative agreements. NIH has a longstanding policy of not requiring prior approval for the addition of domestic subawards to ongoing projects. This makes tracking and oversight of subawards challenging, and NIH needs to be aware of all subawards in order to effectively track compliance with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act.

Effective June 1, 2026, all prime recipients are required to obtain NIH prior approval when adding a new domestic subaward to a project post-award, when the arrangement was not originally a part of the peer-reviewed and approved application.

The new prior approval requirement is intended to ensure that NIH is aware of all subaward activities for each NIH project, so that NIH can monitor the prime recipient and ensure compliance with subaward monitoring and reporting requirements.

Requests must be submitted in the eRA Commons Prior Approval Module using the “Other Request” type.

As a reminder, effective May 1, 2025, NIH no longer recognizes foreign subawards. Recipients seeking to initiate a new international collaboration must utilize the new application structure for NIH-funded international collaborations (PF5/UF5). 

Publication of the Revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (Rev. March 2026) 

NOT-OD-26-057 – March 25, 2026

NIH announces publication of the updated NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIHGPS, rev. March 2026). The NIHGPS provides both up-to-date policy guidance that serves as NIH standard terms and conditions of award for all NIH grants and cooperative agreements, and extensive guidance to those who are interested in pursuing NIH grants.

This version of the NIHGPS includes policies and requirements that have been published via Guide Notices in effect as of March 17, 2026. The updates published in this version of the NIHGPS consolidate all such Guide Notices and supersede the April 2024 version of the NIHGPS.

Updated Elements of an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan

NOT-OD-26-046

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Data Management and Sharing Policy requires applicants to submit a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) for any NIH-funded or conducted research that will generate scientific data.  As part of its ongoing efforts to increase efficiency and minimize applicant burden, NIH is updating the required elements of a DMS Plan.

An updated DMS Plan Format page will be made available upon receipt of OMB clearance. A draft can be viewed here: Data Management and Sharing Plan Format Page. Effective for applications with due dates on or after May 25, 2026, applicants are required to utilize the new, simpler format. NIH is implementing this updated format page as a pilot and will evaluate the need for additional updates over the next year.

GUIDANCE ON SALARY LIMITATION FOR GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FY 2026

NIH NOT-OD-26-034 – January 28, 2026

Effective January 11, 2026, the NIH salary limitation for individuals under NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards is $228,000. 

Major New National Science Foundation (NSF) Compliance Requirement 

Major new National Science Foundation (NSF) compliance requirement affecting all NSF-funded projects. Please read this message carefully, as it directly impacts the administration of your NSF awards and other federal grants.

What’s New?

While many researchers are already familiar with the federal requirements for research security training at the proposal stage (pre-award), NSF has implemented an additional requirement: NSF now requires PIs, Co-PIs,Co-Is, and all key personnel to complete approved Research Security Training BEFORE any post-award action can be submitted on the project.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • No-Cost Extensions
  • Budget Revisions
  • Key Personnel Changes
  • Subaward Requests

If this training is not completed, Sponsored Research Services (SRS) CANNOT process or submit your post-award action in Research.gov. NSF now requires that the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) officially certify, at the time of post-award submission, that all senior personnel have completed the required research security training. If the training is not complete, SRS cannot provide this certification and therefore cannot submit your request. This new requirement is the result of NSF’s expanded efforts to comply with federal research security mandates.

Why Is This Important?

  • These requirements now apply not only at proposal submission but throughout the entire project lifecycle, including post-award modifications.
  • If the training is not complete for all relevant project personnel, SRS cannot submit your request, which could cause significant delays in project management, critical award changes, and potential loss of funding if the window for a no cost extension is missed.

Existing Requirements (NIH and Other Agencies)

  • NIH: NIH mandates full compliance with disclosure of foreign affiliations and support both at proposal (JIT) and in annual progress reporting (RPPRs); training mandates are anticipated but not yet formalized for all NIH awards.
  • Other Agencies (DOE, DOD, USDA, etc.): Disclosure requirements and research security policies are expanding. Formal training mandates are expected in the coming months, and SRS will keep you informed.

What Do You Need to Do?

  • NSF-funded faculty and all key personnel must have completed Research Security Training both for proposal submissions AND now before requesting any post-award action.
  • Continue to comply with NIH and other agency disclosure requirements.
  • Maintain documentation of completed training for submission to SRS
  • SRS will monitor compliance and cannot process or submit actions unless training certificates are documented.

Next Steps

  1. Immediately confirm the training status of yourself and all key personnel on your NSF projects.
  2. Complete Research Security Training if not already done so.  Found here via TrainTraq: Research Security Training Course #2114875: https://traintraq.tamus.edu/CourseDetails.aspx?cnum=2114875
  3. Save your training certificate/documentation for SRS.  SRS does not have ability to see completed training in TrainTraq.

We strongly encourage all individuals on federal awards, regardless of sponsor, to complete Research Security Training as soon as possible to avoid disruptions and stay ahead of federal requirements. Training can be accessed via TrainTraq, Course 2114875 “Research Security Training.”

New Videos Available at AnSRS4U Express

AnSRS4U Express are short 5-to-7-minute videos on various research topics.   These videos are designed to give you the necessary information in a brief time frame.   Some recent topics that have been added to the TAMU Sponsored Research Services (SRS) webpage are as follows:  

  • Acknowledgement of Federal Funding
  • Is it a Gift or a Grant
  • Incoming Principal Investigator / Sponsored Project Transfers
  • Principal Investigator Departures / Project Transfers
  • Cost Transfers

These are located on the SRS website under the Resources tab at AnSRS4U Express – Sponsored Research Services (tamu.edu)

NSF Requirement for a Safe and Inclusive Work Environment

Effective January 30, 2023, with the implementation of the NSF 23-1 PAPPG, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has a new requirement which states that there must be a plan for a safe and inclusive work environment created and distributed to each participant, in advance of departure for an off-campus research activity. Off-campus or off-site research is defined by NSF for this requirement as “data/information/samples being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork or research activities on vessels and aircraft.”

At the time of proposal submission for each proposal that proposes to conduct research off-campus or off site, the Authorized Organizational Representative must complete a certification that the organization has a plan in place for that proposal.   Thus, prior to the submission of the proposal, Sponsored Research Services (SRS) will require the PI to certify that a plan has been created.  

Several solicitations from the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO) and Geological Sciences (GEO) will soon require the submission of a Safe and Inclusive Work Environments Plan that will be considered as part of the Broader Impacts criteria during the review process.

As a reminder, this 2-page supplementary document must address the following four sections:

  1. a brief description of the field setting and unique challenges for the team;  
  2. the steps the proposing organization will take to nurture an inclusive off-campus or off-site working environment, including processes to establish shared team definitions of roles, responsibilities, and culture, e.g., codes of conduct, trainings, mentor/mentee mechanisms and field support that might include regular check-ins, and/or developmental events;   
  3. communication processes within the off-site team and to the organization(s) that minimize singular points within the communication pathway (e.g., there should not be a single person overseeing access to a single satellite phone); and   
  4. the organizational mechanisms that will be used for reporting, responding to, and resolving issues of harassment if they arise. 

SRS has created an optional template that a PI can choose to use as a starting point for the plan.  It is available here.

Cayuse Learning Session Announcement

Cayuse Proposals is a tool that is designed for administrators and/or researchers to use for the preparation of proposals. Some researchers have requested training in order to access the system, upload documents, and in some instances, assist with preparation of their proposals. In response to these requests informational sessions for researchers will be offered.  As always, SRS Proposal Administrators will continue to provide full proposal preparation services. 

Please view the prerecorded session here.

SRS Archive

The information in our archive of SRS updates are provided for reference only and may be outdated. We keep these records available to support transparency and historical reference. If you’re unsure about any information, it’s best to confirm with the sponsor or SRS.

The historical information are available here.