NSF Researcher Disclosure Requirements

webpage updated 12/11/2023

Announcements:

11/01/2023 - On November 1, 2023, the U.S. Government released common disclosure forms for “Current and Pending (Other) Support Information” and “Biographical Sketch”.  The common disclosure forms are part of the Government’s effort to harmonize disclosure requirements across federal agencies. NSF will require senior and key personnel to use the common disclosure forms starting January, 2024. The common forms and related definitions are available on NSF’s website at https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/nstc_disclosure.jsp.”   

8/15/2023 - see new SciENcv webpage containing training materials

8/7/2023 - NSF SciENcv webinars - NSF will mandate the use of SciENcv for the preparation of the biographical sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support information, effective with new proposals submitted or due on or after October 23, 2023. Register for a webinar to learn SciENcv.

Important changes to NSF Biographical Sketches and Current & Pending (C&P) Support took effect for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023 as stated in NSF’s revised version of the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 23-1).

For the most up-to-date instructions, forms, and guidance, please refer to the following NSF pages:

  • New Biographical Sketch and Current & Pending (Other) Support formats contain a new certification requirement, in accordance with Section 223(a)(1) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (42 USC 6605(a)(1)), senior personnel are required to certify that the information provided in their Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support documents are accurate, current, and complete.

  • NSF replaced the PDF-fillable Biographical Sketches and Current & Pending (Other) Support formats. These formats now have a revision date, “rev. 01/19/2023” indicated on the bottom right footer.

  • You must use these latest versions of the PDF-fillable forms in order to be compliant. If you downloaded the forms prior to that date, you must make sure to use this latest format with the "rev. 01/19/2023" in the bottom right corner.
  • The use of these new forms, or SciENcv, is required for proposals submitted on, or due on or after January 30, 2023.

NSF conducted a webinar to discuss the revised Biographical Sketches and C&P formats and demonstrate the SciENcv system on Thursday, January 19th at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.

See slides and video recording at 2023 NSF Policy Office Webinar Series: NSF Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support: SciENcv and NSF Formats

  • The Rascal Other Support Tool -  a starting point to assist researchers in identifying current and pending sponsored projects required to be disclosed in Other Support/Current and Pending Support forms for federal agencies. Researchers can download an Excel report to send to administrators assisting with C&P Support. The Other Support Tool contains only proposals from and awards to Columbia.  It does not include other information required in C&P Support, such as in-kind contributions. The researcher is responsible for including all required information.

NSF’s 2023 Proposal and Award Policies and Procedure Guide (PAAPG, 23-1) contains the Current and Pending (C&P) Support policies and instructions. See PAPPG 23-1, Chapter, II.D.2.h(ii) for all details. It contains specific instructions for completing the C&P Support formats.

As of 1/30/2023, you may use a PDF-fillable format, or SciENcv, to create the C&P forms. See https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/cps.jsp for the PDF-fillable forms, and more information.

Per the PAPPG, "Note: The mandate to use SciENcv only for the preparation of Current and Pending (Other) Support information will go into effect for new proposals submitted or due on or after October 23, 2023. In the interim, proposers may continue to prepare and submit this document via use of SciENcv or the NSF fillable PDF. NSF, however, encourages the community to use SciENcv prior to the October 2023 implementation."

NSF’s 2023 Proposal and Award Policies and Procedure Guide (PAAPG) contains the Biographical Sketch (Biosketch) policies and instructions. See PAPPG 23-1, Chapter, II.D.2.h(i) for all details. Per the PAPPG, specifically for the Appointments and Positions section of the biographical sketch:

"Provide a list, in reverse chronological order by start date, of all the senior person’s academic, professional, or institutional appointments and positions, beginning with the current appointment (including the associated organization and location). Appointments and positions include any titled academic, professional, or institutional position whether or not remuneration is received, and whether full-time, part-time, or voluntary (including adjunct, visiting, or honorary).

For each entry provide:

  • Start date: YYYY
  • End date: YYYY
  • Appointment or Position Title
  • Name of organization
  • Department (if applicable)
  • Location of organization: City, State/Province, Country

With regard to professional appointments, senior personnel must only identify all current domestic and foreign professional appointments outside of the individual's academic, professional, or institutional appointments at the proposing organization."

As of 1/30/2023, you may use a PDF-fillable format, or SciENcv, to create the biographical sketches. See https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/biosketch.jsp for the PDF-fillable forms, and more information.

Per the PAPPG, "Note: The mandate to use SciENcv only for preparation of the biographical sketch will go into effect for new proposals submitted or due on or after October 23, 2023. In the interim, proposers may continue to prepare and submit this document via use of SciENcv or the NSF fillable PDF. NSF, however, encourages the community to use SciENcv prior to the October 2023 implementation."

Post-award Disclosure of Current Support and In-Kind Contribution Information:

NSF requires that if an organization discovers that a PI or co-PI on an active NSF grant failed to disclose current support or in-kind contribution information as part of the proposal submission process (see PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.h(ii)), the AOR must submit the following information
within 30 calendar days of the identification of the undisclosed current support or in-kind contribution through use of the Notification and Request Module in Research.gov.

See your most recent Notice of Award (NoA) to identify the applicable terms and conditions that apply to your award. The following links contain the important post-award disclosure requirements, and are provided as reference, however, the NOA contains the terms specific to the NSF project. Always refer to the NOA.

See Article 40 of the Research Terms and Conditions/Agency Specific Requirements (specific to research grants): https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/fedrtc/agencyspecifics/nsf_0123.pdf

See Article 52 of the Cooperative Agreements - Financial & Administrative Terms and Conditions (specific to Cooperative Agreements) (CA-FATC): https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/cafatc/cafatc_0123.pdf

NSF requires updated Current and Pending support documentation to be provided as part of the annual progress report.  On October 5, 2020, NSF added the following new question to the Edit Participants screen:

  • Has there been a change in the active other support of the PI/PD(s) since the last reporting period? If Principal Investigators (PIs)/Project Directors (PDs) and co-PIs/co-PDs select “Yes,” they will be required to upload their most up-to-date Current and Pending Support document in an NSF-approved format to notify NSF that active other support has changed since the award was made or since the most recent annual report.
  • Current and Pending Support documents not in an NSF-approved format will trigger a compliance error preventing document upload and submission of the annual or final project report.

9/29/2020 - NSF Update: Important Changes to the RPPRs, effective October 5, 2020

9/14/2020 - Enforcement of NSF-approved Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support Formats Begins on 10/5/2020

9/11/2020 - Webinar: Updates on NSF Current & Pending Support and Biographical Sketches

5/5/2020 - NSF updates their PDF-fillable C&P and Biosketch Forms

 

9/18/2020 -  NSF Update: Biographical Sketches and Current & Pending. Click here for slides and here to watch the recorded video.

5/6/2020 – LDEO Presentation: NSF Policy and Forms Changes - Biographical Sketches and Current & Pending

5/1/2020 – NSF Policy and Forms Changes - Biographical Sketches and Current & Pending