GW Tax/Payables Training: Making Foreign Payment Submissions Smoother

Thursday, February 26, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

This second‑level training session will expand on the foundational concepts introduced in the initial workshop, providing a more detailed understanding of key compliance requirements for making payments to international individuals. Participants will gain a more in‑depth overview of Sprintax Calculus and its role within the full payment process, expanded guidance on U.S. tax withholding forms (with clarification on when to collect Forms W‑9, W‑8BEN, and related documentation, how these forms impact backup and NRA withholding, and the role they play in accurate income reporting), and additional detail on how to submit vendor documentation to accounts payable for payments to foreign individuals, including when registration with PaymentWorks is required and how to register foreign individuals for honorarium payments.

Hanover Research Webinar: Revamping Your Grantseeking Strategy in a Changing Landscape 

Thursday, February 26, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

As funding priorities and requirements evolve, grant seekers must adapt their strategies to remain competitive. This webinar will offer insights into updating your approach in seeking external funding, including strategies for tracking trends, revising proposal narratives, and exploring new opportunities. Participants will learn how to respond to shifts in the funding environment and position their projects for success.

New! Atom Grants Webinar: Assessing the Impact of Research Development
and Other Resources From the EMERGE Resource Library

Thursday, February 26, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Join Dr. Kimberly Eck to learn about the Equipping Minoritized and Emerging Research Institutions to Grow their Enterprises (EMERGE) Resource Library. Funded by NSF GRANTED, this is the first national library providing practical guides for the research enterprise that center the voice of emerging research institutions and minority serving institutions.

GW OSP Brown Bag Session: All About SciENcv and Common Disclosure Forms

Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

The use of SciENcv and Common Disclosure Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support are now required for NIH funding applications with due dates and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) submissions on or after January 25, 2026. Additional federal agencies such as DOE and NSF also require the use of SciENcv and Common Disclosure Forms for submissions. 

This Brown Bag session will offer an opportunity for researchers, research administrators, and other members of the GW community involved in sponsored research to discuss the use of SciENcv to create and submit their Common Disclosure Forms. Attendees can ask questions, share tips, and connect with colleagues through their shared experiences with SciENcv and Common Disclosure Forms. Subject matter experts from the GW Himmelfarb and Gelman Libraries, as well as the Office of Sponsored Projects will also be on hand to share their expertise. 

Other Support and Research Security Training Requirements

GW investigators on federal funded projects identified as covered individuals are required to complete other support and research security training to comply with federal agencies' implementation of research security requirements (including other support training) stemming from NSPM-33 and the CHIPS & Science Act (2022). Per GW Guidance, GW investigators should fulfill these training requirements prior to proposal submission using the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) "Research Security Training (Combined)" module. (Those who have completed the full Research Security module do not need to further complete the Combined module). To ensure compliance with sponsor-specific requirements in time for proposal submission, Principal Investigators are expected to identify and direct all individuals who will participate and/or have participated on the project to complete the required training. To avoid delays in proposal submission and/or award acceptance, personnel are encouraged to complete their training as early as possible. Please note that the Research Security training is valid only if taken within 12 months of the proposal submission date.  Additional details can be found on the Office of Research Integrity & Compliance (ORIC) website.

New! Applications Now Open for NCURA Region II Mentor Me 2026 Program

Applications are now open for the Cheryl‑Lee Howard Mentor Me Program, and are due on March 13th. This one‑on‑one mentoring experience pairs NCURA members with experienced research administrators to support leadership growth, career development, and deeper engagement in NCURA Region II. Mentees will work with a mentor to create a personalized development plan, participate in monthly group discussions, and present at the NCURA Region II Meeting. The application for the program can be downloaded from the NCURA Region II website. 

DOE Requirement for Use of SciENcv

Consistent with NSF and now NIH, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires the use of SciENcv to complete their Common Forms, such as the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support, effective December 3, 2025 upon issuance of Financial Assistance Letter (FAL) 2026-02.

The Biosketch replaces the resume requirement in all DOE and NNSA notice of funding opportunities (NOFOs), financial assistance agreements, congressionally directed spending projects, and non-competitive financial assistance agreements. PIDs (ORCiD IDs) are required for NOFOs and awards that encompass R&D activities, or technical assistance to support R&D activities, including non-competitive R&D projects.

New! Updated Elements of an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan

NIH has released Guide Notice NOT-OD-26-046 which is intended to update Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan elements to clarify common areas of confusion in the research community while streamlining and simplifying DMS Plans. NIH states that DMS Plans should include only the elements indicated in the Guide Notice. 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 submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2026, applicants and recipients 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.

New PF5 NOFO for NIH Application Structure for NIH-Funded International Collaborations

On January 20, 2026, NIH released PA-26-002,a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the PF5 Collaborative International Research Project, implementing a new application and award structure for applications that request funding for foreign component organizations. For reference, see Guide Notice NOT-OD-25-155, background, second paragraph (September 12, 2025). This opportunity specifically implements an award structure to support NIH-funded international collaborations of prime domestic awards with independent foreign awards that are linked to the prime. This structure provides NIH with oversight capacity for international collaborations, and allows NIH to track international funding, as identified in NOT-OD-25-104. The PF5 NOFO should not be used for foreign consultants, purchasing unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors, foreign collaborations that do not involve NIH funding, or any other foreign component that would not result in a foreign subaward. NIH provided additional details in the FAQs for PF5 application preparation and submission.

NIH Executive Salary Cap now $228,000

The Executive Level II salary limitation/cap is now $228,000 (See NIH Notice NOT-OD-26-034). Effective immediately, it should be used to prepare new applications and re-budget active awards as allowable. 

NIH Cap for the Submission of Certain Proposal Types in a Calendar Year

As 2026 begins, please be reminded that NIH has set a limit of six new, renewal, resubmission, or revision applications for PI/PD, or multiple PI/PDs in a calendar year, for all activity codes except for T and R13 applications. This information may be helpful as PIs plan submissions for the 2026 calendar year. This limit was implemented with guide notice NOT-OD-25-132. 

NIH’s Implementation of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2026

NIH announces its implementation of the Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support for applications with due dates and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) submissions on or after January 25, 2026. Update: SciENcv has been updated with the NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form and the NIH Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form. Both NIH Common Forms are available under the dropdown menu for "Document Type" when creating a new document in SciENcv. A FAQ is available on the NIH website, which is updated frequently with new information on the implementation.

Additionally, effective January 25, 2026, individuals who are a current party to a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP) are not eligible to serve as a senior/key person on any NIH grant or cooperative agreement. NIH will require MFTRP certifications from applicants and individuals identified as senior/key personnel with its implementation of the Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support. Individuals identified as senior/key personnel must certify on their Common Form for Biographical Sketch, attached on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form, that they are not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program. For NIH awards with RPPRs submitted on or after January 25, 2026, individuals serving as senior/key personnel must complete annual certification to their participation or non-participation in an MFTRP at the time of RPPR submission, using the Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR)  must certify, via their signature on the face page of the application (i.e., SF424 R&R cover form), that all individuals identified by the applicant as senior/key personnel have been made aware of and have complied with their responsibility under that section to certify that the individual is not a party to a MFTRP.

Detailed instructions are provided in NOT-OD-26-018.  Additional guidance on the OSP Biographical Sketch (Biosketch) and Current and Pending (Other) Support pages.

NIH Policy Notice: Implementation of Research Security Training Requirement for Covered Individuals 

NIH has issued guide notice NOT-OD-26-017 which announces implementation of the requirement for all covered individuals (defined by NIH as Senior/Key Personnel) to certify that they have completed research security training within 12 months of the date of application submission. NIH will collect the individual’s certification at the time of the application submission, through the Biographical Sketch in SciENcv. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) is required to complete an institutional certification that each covered individual on the application has completed the research security training prior to application submission. Completion of research security training for senior/key personnel, individual and institutional certifications will be effective for NIH applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2026. GW researchers may review the Research Security Training page for guidance on how to complete this requirement.  

NSF Releases Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (2024) - Supplement 2

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a Policy Notice for its 2024 Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The information set out in this notice takes precedence over existing policies and procedures in PAPPG 24-1. It applies for all financial assistance awarded on or after January 22, 2026.

NSF will defer release of the 26-1 version of the PAPPG, previously developed and planned for publication in Fiscal Year 2026, to ensure alignment with forthcoming Uniform Grant Guidance updates. NSF will issue policy revisions via supplemental Policy Notices in the interim. If you have questions, please contact the NSF Grants Policy Branch at policy@nsf.gov. Please check NSF.gov often for future updates.

The following policy updates are covered in this supplement:

Changes to the NSF Public Access Repository (NSF-PAR) include: 

Changes to Research.gov Project Reports include: 

Most OSP Resources are located on the Education and Training SharePoint site. To access the site, you will need to use your GW Single Sign On credentials. If you need any assistance finding a resource, or require help to access the Education and Training SharePoint site, please contact OSP_EandT@gwu.edu.