NIH will release updates to the eRA system on Monday, January 26, 2026. These changes affect Prior Approval (Change of PD/PI) requests, Just-in-Time (JIT) submissions, and the Participants section of the RPPR. The updates align NIH systems with the new Common Forms requirements described in NOT-OD-26-018.
Starting January 25, 2026, all individuals who must submit a Biographical Sketch or Current and Pending (Other) Support (CPOS) form—including all Senior/Key Personnel—must use the Common Forms and the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement.
New Requirements
To submit Prior Approval, JIT, or RPPR materials after January 25, 2026:
- All Senior/Key Personnel and any new Other Significant Contributors must have an active eRA Commons ID.
- Each Commons ID must be linked to the individual’s ORCID iD.
- The ORCID iD will be used in SciENcv to create certified PDF versions of:
- Biographical Sketches
- Current and Pending (Other) Support (CPOS) forms
- All Biographical Sketch and CPOS forms must be created and certified in SciENcv.
- When required, only the certified SciENcv-generated PDF may be uploaded.
- The PDF file name may be changed after download, but no other edits are allowed.
- Do not flatten the PDF after it is downloaded from SciENcv.
Instructions for linking an ORCID iD to an eRA Commons account are available in the video “Link Your ORCID iD to Your eRA Commons Account.”
Important Submission Notice
Because NIH is updating the eRA user interface to support the Common Forms:
- Any Change of PD/PI Prior Approval or JIT submission started but not submitted by January 25, 2026, must be redone.
- Any RPPR started but not submitted by January 25, 2026, must be resubmitted, and the Participants section must be completed again.
Please email ora@iu.edu with any questions or concerns.