NIH changes to the biosketch, effective January 25, 2022

Effective January 25, 2022, the NIH will require changes to biosketches. Below is an abbreviated guide.

New Biosketches are slightly different for Fellowship Grants (F-awards, R36 and research supplements for undergraduate researchers to promote diversity in health-related research) vs all others, such as RO1s, R21, R35.

Changes required for non-fellowship Biosketches by submission dates on or after Jan 25, 2022:
(eg, R-Awards, K-awards, P-awards)

• Section B:
  • Change title from "Positions and Honors" to "Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honors"
  • Split into subheadings "Positions and Scientific Appointments" and "Honors"
  • List information in reverse chronological order
  • For "Positions and Scientific Appointments" include positions and scientific appointments both domestic and foreign, including affiliations with foreign entities or governments.
• Section D:
  • Remove entire section
  • Optional: Move any ongoing and completed research projects from the past three years that you would like to highlight to Section A (Personal Statement); these entries may be presented outside the paragraph.
• Instructions from NIH: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/application-guide-biosketch-instructions-rev-12-2020.docx

Changes required for fellowship Biosketches by submission dates on or after Jan 25, 2022:

• Section B:
  • Change title from "Positions and Honors" to "Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honors"
  • Split into subheadings "Positions and Scientific Appointments" and "Honors"
  • List information in reverse chronological order
  • For "Positions and Scientific Appointments" include positions and scientific appointments both domestic and foreign, including affiliations with foreign entities or governments.
• Section D:
  • Change title from "Additional Information: Research Support and/or Scholastic Performance” to “Scholastic Performance”
  • Optional: Move any ongoing and completed research projects from the past three years that you would like to highlight to Section A (Personal Statement); these entries may be presented outside the paragraph.​
• Instructions from NIH: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/application-guide-biosketch-instructions-rev-12-2020.docx

NEED MORE HELP?

Unsure how to implement the latest changes to the NIH Biosketch format? 
Need help with the ‘Personal Statement, Section A’ or ‘Contributions to Science, Section C’?
Wondering how to best represent your achievements in a biosketch?

The Scientific Editing and Research Communication Core (SERCC) can help!

Through August 25th, for $75, we will:

• Check your Biosketch for compliance with the latest NIH guidelines (required as of Jan 2022 and currently preferred)
• Improve the clarity and flow of the Personal Statement and Contributions to Science sections
• Provide tips on how to better highlight the significance of your accomplishments

Contact the Scientific Editing and Research Communication Core for help at COM-ScientificEditing@uiowa.edu. 

https://medicine.uiowa.edu/sercc/