The National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality have announced a change to the required format for biographical sketches submitted with applications for research grant funding.

Changes in the new format include an increase in the page limit from four pages to five, as well as new fields that give investigators the opportunity to provide background information for their proposed project.  The new form allows investigators to highlight their most significant contributions to science, outline the historical context for their research and describe their roles in Team Science projects. Applicants may also support these descriptions with lists of publications or other research products.  The new biosketch format also allows a link to a full list of the applicant’s published work in a publicly available online database.

The revised forms and instructions are available on the SF 424 (R&R) Forms and Applications page.

Implementation date pushed back

The original announcement of the new biosketch requirements indicated that the new format would be required for applications submitted for due dates on or after Jan. 25, 2015. Following public comment, however, the NIH and AHRQ have provided flexibility by delaying full implementation of the new requirement. The agency now encourages applicants to use the new biosketch format, but will require the new format for applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2015.

Click here to read the full announcement.