SciENcv has become the single tool you must use to produce the NIH and NSF biosketch. This guide explains what it is, how to build a compliant biosketch step by step, how to wire up the accounts that auto-fill it, and the formatting mistakes that get a sketch rejected. Where exact rules matter, confirm them against the current instructions on the funder's site, as the forms are still settling after the 2026 transition.
What SciENcv is and which agencies require it (NIH, NSF)
SciENcv (Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae) is a researcher-profile tool hosted by NCBI that generates funder-formatted documents: principally the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support.
Since 25 January 2026, NIH requires the Common Forms for both documents, completed in SciENcv and produced as a digitally certified PDF. The senior/key person must certify their own document (certification cannot be delegated) and must have an ORCID iD linked to their eRA Commons profile. NSF also requires SciENcv for its biosketch and current and pending support. In short: for federal applications, SciENcv is no longer optional.
How to create a biosketch in SciENcv, step by step
- Go to the SciENcv area of NCBI and sign in (see the next section for account options).
- Click Create New Document and give it a clear name.
- Choose the document type (the NIH Common Form Biographical Sketch, or the NSF format).
- Choose a data source: start blank, start from an existing SciENcv document, or populate from an external source such as eRA Commons.
- Complete each section: identifying information, education/training, positions and honors, and the contributions.
- Pull in publications from My Bibliography or ORCID (SciENcv does not allow direct citation entry).
- Certify and download the PDF for your application. The certified file is what you attach in the application system.
Linking ORCID, eRA Commons and login.gov to autofill
SciENcv signs in through an NCBI account, and you can connect several identities to it:
- eRA Commons, required to be linked to your ORCID for NIH applications.
- ORCID, required on NIH applications and the source SciENcv uses for your bibliography; you can also sign in directly with ORCID.
- Login.gov, a federal sign-in option.
- Many institutions also appear as sign-in options.
The two connections that do the real work are ORCID (so your publication record flows in) and eRA Commons (so NIH can match you). Linking them once, correctly, is what makes the forms auto-fill rather than forcing manual entry.
The Personal Statement and Contributions to Science sections
These are the parts of the biosketch where you actually make your case, and the current NIH supplement applies specific limits:
- Personal Statement, maximum 3,500 characters. Explain why you are suited to your role on the project. No full citations; refer instead to listed products.
- Contributions to Science, up to 5 contributions, each a maximum of 2,000 characters. You may not place citations inside a contribution; reference the products you have selected in the relevant "other significant products" area instead.
- Honors, up to 15 entries.
You are not required to use all five contributions. Early-career applicants often make a stronger impression with two or three well-argued contributions than with five thin ones.
Biosketch vs Current & Pending (Other) Support: what's the difference
These are two different Common Forms, and applicants regularly confuse them:
| Biosketch | Current & Pending (Other) Support | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Your qualifications and contributions | Your current and pending research commitments and resources |
| Contains | Education, positions, contributions to science | Projects, funding and in-kind support, time commitments |
| Used for | Showing you can do the work | Letting reviewers assess overlap and capacity |
| Data import | Publications from My Bibliography / ORCID | Supports uploading structured data |
Both are produced and certified in SciENcv. The biosketch sells your track record; Current & Pending is a transparency document about what else is on your plate.
Common formatting pitfalls that get a biosketch rejected
- Citations in the wrong place, full citations are not allowed in the Personal Statement or in a Contribution to Science; reference listed products instead.
- Exceeding the character limits: 3,500 for the Personal Statement, 2,000 per contribution, 15 honors.
- Publications missing from My Bibliography/ORCID, if a paper is not in one of those systems, SciENcv cannot include it; fix the source first.
- ORCID not linked to eRA Commons, a frequent cause of application problems for NIH senior/key personnel.
- Submitting an uncertified or delegated file, the senior/key person must certify their own document.
- Reusing an outdated saved sketch, duplicate and update, then re-certify, rather than submitting last cycle's version.
A final check: open the certified PDF and read it as a reviewer would. If a contribution does not stand on its own without the missing citation, rewrite it so the significance is clear from the text.