This page describes the way to produce a biographical sketch for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Both agencies require specific formats for these documents, which provide an overview of your education, employment, accomplishments, and research contributions. There are two ways to approach creating these documents.
Template for NIH
Applicants to the NIH may use the fillable biosketch template provided by the agency.
SciENcv for NSF and NIH
Applicants may use ORCID and SciENcv to automatically generate biosketches meeting the requirements of each agency.
- First step: Create an ORCID profile. ORCID (Open Researcher & Contributor ID) is an online service that assigns a unique and persistent identifier for all your research-related items, such as articles and datasets, and is required for all proposals to the National Institutes of Health. Consult this UO Libraries resource on ORCID for more guidance.
- Second step: Create a SciENcv account. SciENcv (Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae) is a researcher profile system for individuals who apply for or receive research funds from federal agencies.
- Third step: Integrate your ORCID profile with your SciENcv account. This allows you to create biosketches in formats compliant with the NIH and NSF. This blog explains the benefits of integration, and this video explains how to do it.