Guidance for Completing Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending or Other Support Documents

• Biographical Sketch Format, Instructions, and Samples
• NIH FAQs for Biographical Sketches
• Requirements for Disclosure in Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other Support)
• NIH Disclosure Table

A biographical sketch documents a researcher’s qualifications and experience for a specific role in a project.

Researchers should include:

• Professional preparation (e.g., educational degrees)
• Organizational affiliations and appointments
• Academic, professional, or institutional appointments regardless of whether those appointments are paid or unpaid, full-time, part-time, or voluntary

Researchers must also disclose contracts associated with participation in programs sponsored by foreign governments, instrumentalities, or entities. A researcher must disclose if they receive direct or indirect support funded by a foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment program, even if that support is provided through an intermediary and does not require membership in the program.

Individuals who are party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program are ineligible to serve as PIs or senior/key personnel on NIH-funded projects.

• NIH Guidance on Other Support
• NIH FAQs for Other Support
• Requirements for Disclosure in Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other Support)
• NIH Disclosure Table
• Reminders of NIH Policies on Other Support and on Policies related to Financial Conflicts of Interest and Foreign Components

In the Current and Pending (Other) Support document, researchers must include all resources made available to them in support of and/or related to all of their research endeavors, regardless of whether there is monetary value and regardless of whether those resources are at the UO. This includes, but is not limited to:

• All projects currently under consideration (such as a pending application), regardless of the source, whether the UO will be the home of the project, and whether there is monetary value. In other words, researchers must disclose in-kind support such as office or lab space, equipment, supplies, or employees.
• Include active and pending sponsored projects total award amount. For subawards, only the total subaward amount needs to be included. Researchers should enter their support entries so they are grouped together based on the “Status of Support” and are in the order of active and pending support from top to bottom.
• In-kind contributions such as office or lab space, equipment, supplies, or employees or students supported by an outside source. If the time commitment or dollar value of the in-kind contribution is not readily ascertainable, provide reasonable estimates.
• Postdoctoral scholars, students, and visiting scholars who are supported by an external entity and whose research activities are not intended for use on the proposed project but have an associated time commitment on the project.
• Consulting activities that involve research and fall outside of the researcher’s UO appointment.
  • Research activities may include, but are not limited to, work that may result in publication in an academic journal, designing a protocol, data analysis, serving on a steering committee for a clinical trial.
• Travel supported or paid by an external entity to perform research activities with an associated time commitment.
• Startup packages from other than the UO. 

Other Support does not include training awards, prizes, or gifts. Gifts are resources provided where there is no expectation of anything (such as time, services, specific research, money, etc.) in return.

A note about gifts: Monetary donations to the UO or to researchers directly sometimes qualify as other support, which must be reported to the NIH in the Other Support document, and sometimes qualify as gifts, which do not need to be reported.  

For example, if the UO receives funds from a private charitable foundation that supports research on certain diseases and a researcher uses the fund to support research on treatments for one of those diseases, the NIH would not consider this a gift, but rather other support that the researcher must disclose in their Other Support document. 

For foreign appointments and/or affiliations: Researchers must provide supporting documentation, which includes copies of contracts or other agreements, for all activities and resources that are reported in Other Support. If the contracts or agreements are not in English, the researcher must provide translated copies. (See NOT-OD-21-073.) Translations using machine learning such as Google Translate are acceptable, but certified translations may be required upon request. 

• NSF Instructions for Biographical Sketches
• NSF Disclosure Table

A biographical sketch helps the NSF assess how well qualified the individual, team, or organization is to conduct the proposed activities.

NSF requires researchers use SciENcv: Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae, which will produce a NSF-compliant PDF version of the biographical sketch to submit as part of the proposal via research.gov or grants.gov.

Researchers should include:

• Professional preparation (e.g., educational degrees, training)
• Academic, professional, or institutional appointments regardless of whether those appointments are paid or unpaid, full-time, part-time, or voluntary
• A list of up to five products most closely related to the proposed project and up to five other significant products, regardless of whether they are related to the proposed project, that demonstrate the researcher’s qualifications to carry out the project.

Researchers must also disclose contracts associated with participation in programs sponsored by foreign governments, instrumentalities, or entities. A researcher must disclose if they receive direct or indirect support funded by a foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment program, even if that support is provided through an intermediary.

Individuals who are party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program are ineligible to serve as PIs or senior/key personnel on NSF-funded projects.

• NSF Instructions for Current and Pending Support
• SciENcv FAQs
• NSF Disclosure Table

NSF requires researchers use SciENcv: Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae to automatically generate a Current and Pending Support document, which will produce an NSF-compliant PDF version of the biographical sketch to submit as part of the proposal via research.gov or grants.gov.

The Current and Pending Support helps the NSF assess the capacity or conflicts of commitment that may impact the researcher's ability to carry out the proposed project. It also helps the NSF assess any potential scientific and budgetary overlap or duplication with the project being proposed.

In the Current and Pending Support document, researchers should include all resources made available to them in support of and/or related to all their research endeavors, regardless of whether there is monetary value and regardless of whether those resources are at the institution identified for the grant. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Projects currently under consideration, regardless of the source, whether there is monetary value, and whether the UO will be the home of the project.
• Ongoing projects, regardless of whether the UO is the home of the project and regardless of whether there is any monetary value.
• In-kind contributions with an estimated dollar value of $5,000 or more, are not intended for use on the project being proposed, and require a commitment of the researcher’s time.
  • An in-kind contribution is a non-cash contribution provided by a non-UO entity that directly supports the researcher’s research and development efforts. This may include, but is not limited to, lab space, equipment, data or data sets, supplies, goods and services, employees, or students. If there is no associated time commitment, the in-kind contribution does not need to be reported.
  • In-kind contributions with an estimated dollar value of $5,000 or more that directly support the proposed project should be included in the Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources section of the proposal. This may include office or lab space, equipment, supplies, employees, or students.
• Consulting activity. Researchers must disclose consulting under the proposals and active project section of the common form when any of the following scenarios apply:
  • The consulting activity will require the researcher to perform research.
  • The consulting activity does not involve performing research but is related to the researcher’s portfolio and may have the ability to impact funding, alter time or effort commitments, or otherwise impact scientific integrity.
  • The consulting entity has provided a contract that requires the researcher to conceal or withhold confidential financial or other ties between the researcher and the entity, irrespective of the duration of the engagement.
• Postdoctoral scholars, students, and visiting scholars who are supported by an external entity and whose research activities are not intended for use on the proposed project but have an associated time commitment on the project.
• Travel supported or paid by an external entity to perform research activities with an associated time commitment.
• Startup company based on non-UO-licensed IP.
• Startup packages from other than the UO.

• DOE Instructions for Current and Pending Support
• DOE Additional Disclosure Guidance

In the Current and Pending Support document, researchers should include all resources made available to them from outside sources in support of the proposed project efforts, regardless of whether there is monetary value and regardless of whether those resources are at the institution identified for the grant. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Resources made available or expected to be made available from non-UO sources in support of the proposed project, regardless of the source, whether the resource is made available through UO or directly to the researcher, or whether there is a monetary value.
  • Include all active projects with ongoing obligations. Include pending proposals that are being considered for funding, irrespective of whether the support is provided through the UO or is provided directly to the researcher.
  • Include gifts provided with terms or conditions.
  • Include financial support for lab personnel and participation of student and visiting researchers supported by other sources of funding.
• In-kind contributions that directly support the researcher’s research and development efforts and that require a time commitment. This includes, but is not limited to, office or lab space, equipment, supplies, employees or students.

Researchers must also disclose all involvement with foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs. The Department of Energy defines a foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment program as an effort directly or indirectly organized, managed, or funded by a foreign government (or a government instrumentality or entity) to recruit science and technology professionals and students. Some foreign government-sponsored talent recruit programs operate with the intent to import or otherwise acquire from abroad, sometimes through illicit means, proprietary technology or software, unpublished data and methods, and intellectual property to further the military modernization or economic goals of the foreign government.

Biographical sketch requirements vary depending on the DOD agency and funding opportunity. Please refer to the individual announcement for specific proposal requirements.

Investigators should include all paid or unpaid positions, including honorary positions, affiliated positions, joint positions, and participation in any talent recruitment programs.

• DOD Memo

Researchers must include a list of all current projects they are working on, any pending support they have applied to receive, title and objective of each of these projects, the percentage per year to be devoted to the projects, the total amount of support the researcher is receiving or will receive if other proposals are awarded, name and address of the sponsor(s), and the period of performance of other projects.

• America First Memorandum for USDA Arrangements and Research Security (Sections D and E)

Under the memorandum linked above, issued July 8, 2025, USDA researchers applying to research and development or science and technology awards must complete a Common Form for Current and Pending (Other) Support and a Common Form for Biographical Sketch.

In the biographical sketch, researchers should include:

• Professional preparation (e.g., educational degrees, training)
• Academic, professional, or institutional appointments regardless of whether those appointments are paid or unpaid, full-time, part-time, or voluntary

Researchers must also disclose contracts associated with participation in programs sponsored by foreign governments, instrumentalities, or entities. Researchers must disclose if they receive direct or indirect support funded by a foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment program, even if that support is provided through an intermediary and does not require membership in the program.

Researchers who are party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program or have been in the past ten years are ineligible to work on projects supported by USDA research and development or science and technology awards.

• America First Memorandum for USDA Arrangements and Research Security (Sections D and E)

Requirements for Current and Pending Support Documents vary depending on the USDA agency and funding opportunity. Please refer to the request for applications for specific proposal requirements.

In the Current and Pending Support document, researchers should include all current and pending research support received by, or expected to be received by, the researcher at the time of the disclosure. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Projects currently under consideration. Include amount, type, and source.
• Ongoing projects. Include amount, type, and source.

The specific request for applications may require additional information in the Current and Pending Support document.

• NASA Instructions for Biographical Sketches (Section 10.5)
• NASA Disclosure Table
• How to Sign a Biographical Sketch

A biographical sketch documents a researcher’s qualifications and professional experience, and NASA uses the information to assess how well qualified a researcher is to conduct the proposed activities.

Each senior/key person is responsible for preparing, signing, and submitting a biographical sketch form as part of the proposal. There is no page limit.

NASA has adopted the Common Forms, which can be found at the bottom of the page on their website regarding regulations. They are not available in SciENcv at this time.

Researchers should include:

• Professional preparation (e.g., educational degrees, training)
• Academic, professional, or institutional appointments regardless of whether those appointments are paid or unpaid, full-time, part-time, or voluntary
• A list of products most closely related to the proposed project and up to five other significant products, regardless of whether they are related to the proposed project, that demonstrate the researcher’s qualifications to carry out the project.

• NASA Instructions for Current and Pending Support (Section 10.6)
• NASA Disclosure Table
• How to Sign a Biographical Sketch

The Current and Pending Support helps NASA assess the capacity or conflicts of commitment that may impact the ability of the researcher to carry out the proposed project. It also helps NASA assess any potential scientific and budgetary overlap or duplication with the project being proposed.

NASA has adopted the Common Forms, which can be found at the bottom of the page on their website regarding regulations. They are not available in SciENcv at this time.

In the Current and Pending Support document, researchers should include all resources made available to them in support of and/or related to all their research endeavors, regardless of whether there is monetary value and regardless of whether those resources are at the UO. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Projects currently under consideration, regardless of the source, whether there is monetary value, and whether the UO will be the home of the project.
• Ongoing projects, regardless of whether the UO is the home of the project and regardless of whether there is any monetary value.
• In-kind contributions with an estimated dollar value of $5,000 or more, are not intended for use on the project being proposed, and require a commitment of the researcher’s time.
  • An in-kind contribution is a non-cash contribution provided by a non-UO entity that directly supports the researcher’s research and development efforts. This may include, but is not limited to, lab space, equipment, data or data sets, supplies, goods and services, employees, or students. If there is no associated time commitment, the in-kind contribution does not need to be reported.
  • In-kind contributions with an estimated dollar value of $5,000 or more that directly support the proposed project should be included in the Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources section of the proposal. This may include office or lab space, equipment, supplies, employees, or students.
• Consulting activity. Researchers must disclose consulting under the proposals and active project section of the common form when any of the following scenarios apply:
  • The consulting activity will require the researcher to perform research.
  • The consulting activity does not involve performing research but is related to the researcher’s portfolio and may have the ability to impact funding, alter time or effort commitments, or otherwise impact scientific integrity.
  • The consulting entity has provided a contract that requires the researcher to conceal or withhold confidential financial or other ties between the researcher and the entity, irrespective of the duration of the engagement.
• Postdoctoral scholars, students, and visiting scholars who are supported by an external entity and whose research activities are not intended for use on the proposed project but have an associated time commitment on the project.
• Travel supported or paid by an external entity to perform research activities with an associated time commitment.
• Startup company based on non-UO-licensed IP.
• Startup packages from other than the UO.