NIH's Implementation of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2026

Notice Number: NOT-OD-26-018

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-26-018.html

Purpose

NIH is adopting the Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support as per the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) memorandum on Policy Regarding Use of Common Disclosure Forms. This Guide Notice provides details for the Common Forms, NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement, and instructions required for use for application due dates and Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) submissions on or after January 25, 2026.

 Please refer to the full notice linked above for further details.

 Should you have any questions, please contact the Office of Sponsored Programs.

Research Security Training Requirements for NIH

Notice Number: NOT-OD-26-017

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-26-017.html

Purpose

This notice notifies the extramural community of the NIH implementation of the Research Security Training (RST) requirements outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-167).

In accordance with Section 10634 of Act, each covered individual (for NIH this is defined as senior/key personnel) listed on an NIH grant application must certify that they have completed RST within 12 months of the date of application submission. NIH does not collect Current and Pending (Other) Support at the time of application based on our Just-in-Time policy. Therefore, NIH will collect the individual certification at the time of the application submission, through the Biographical Sketch in SciENcv.

The Act also requires applicant institutions to certify that each covered individual who is employed by the institution and listed on the application has completed RST. The Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), via their signature on the face page of the application, will certify the applicant institution's compliance with this requirement.

Applicants and recipients may utilize any training that addresses cybersecurity, international collaboration, foreign interference, and rules for proper use of funds, disclosure, conflict of commitment, and conflict of interest. NSF, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense (DOD), have provided four online RST modules as a resource to the extramural community. Subsequently, the SECURE Center developed an updated and condensed version of the four modules. The condensed RST module is designed to meet the government-wide RST requirement in Section 10634 of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. § 19234). To that end, NIH also recognizes completion of the condensed module as compliant with the respective RST requirements.

Effective Date: At this time, the research security training requirement is optional. Completion of RST and the individual and institutional certifications will be effective for applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2026.

Please refer to the full notice linked above for further details.

Should you have any questions, please contact the Office of Sponsored Programs.

“You are a valued and important voice.” “UMBC cares and listens.” “The diversity on UMBC’s campus helps to bring out the best in everyone.” Along with an eye-catching color gradient, these words adorn the walls of the Mezzanine Gallery in The Commons. And while the phrases may sound like something President Valerie Sheares Ashby would (and does) say quite often, they are actually part of an Arts+ initiative, student-sourced art installation that asked students: “Inclusive excellence: What does it mean to you?”

Created by students in the spring 2025 class Professional Practices in Graphic Design, the installation transforms the Mezzanine Gallery and nearby breezeway into spaces that reflect UMBC’s welcoming community. Funded by Student Affairs Communications and Marketing, the project included Petra Janka ’25, graphic design and modern languages and linguistics, and a current human-centered computing master’s student. In this Q&A, Janka and President Sheares Ashby talk about student-led inclusive excellence and the ways that UMBC welcomes people into its community.

President Valerie Sheares Ashby: How did your class approach this project? 

Petra Janka: Our class was asked to help to reimagine and transform two spaces in The Commons: The Mezzanine Gallery and the entrance near the breezeway. We wanted students to interact with something enjoyable and inspirational. So our design approach focused on creating a multi-perspective experience.

There are three specific views you can take in this installation. From one side, you see this colorful gradient representing the diversity of residential life on campus. From the other angle, you can see the black and gold gradient symbolizing academic life at the university. If you look at it straight on, you can see the quotes included in the installation and the digital signage, which highlights additional answers. We sourced these quotes by surveying students about their connections, their advice, their challenges, their experiences on campus, and so on.

Sheares Ashby: This is fantastic. It is a brilliant idea on multiple levels. I talk about inclusive excellence all the time because it is a core value of the institution, but hearing students’ experience lets me know we are doing something right. It also lets me know there is more for us to do, right? These quotes inspire me to keep going—to try to make the place even more inclusive for everyone.

It is one thing for me to say it, but to know that your student peer is saying—”Give everyone a chance”—well, that is far more powerful than if I were using my voice. When I read the quotes on the wall, I think, “Oh, that is different. That is more powerful. That is more meaningful.”

Janka: The motto of our group was: “From the students, for the students.” We wanted everyone who passes by to stop, read, and feel seen, heard, and valued, and I think we achieved that.

Sheares Ashby: This is a unique institution. It is a very different thing to be at an institution that has been around for more than 150 years, and one that has been around for 59. Older institutions are pretty hard to change. Students certainly have an impact everywhere they go, but you are not creating that institution anymore, not fundamentally changing the DNA.

But, here, we are still in a space where we are becoming clear about our values, but we are flexible and humble enough to recognize there is still more input to receive, still more growth to experience, still new ideas to include. We can be better and different, and it is our clarity about our core principle of inclusive excellence that enables us to do that.

Janka: Last spring, when we were scouting out the space, we saw how many people pass through because this is a place to eat, study, and meet friends. We wanted to add something that becomes part of that everyday experience at UMBC. And now the colors draw your eyes to it, and then you read the messages, and you feel connected, and you’re like, “Oh, this is nice. I feel inspired to do better, to give everyone a chance.” I hope it stays up for a long time.

Sheares Ashby: We are clearly better because you are here. This is what students do. Each time a new student joins us, UMBC gets better.

The project, part of UMBC’s Arts+ initiative, was completed and installed by commonvision, UMBC Student Design and Print Center students Shomapti Hussein ‘25 and Thomas Hammond ‘25, under the print and installation guidance of Tori Richner ‘22, general associate: print production, and the supervision of SACM staff. The Commons Facilities and Operations team installed the panels and screen in the Mezzanine Gallery, and were integral partners in this project.

Looking to declutter before the end of the semester? Retriever Re-Store is now accepting gently used items at multiple drop-off locations across campus! Support sustainability at UMBC by donating everyday essentials like kitchen appliances, school supplies, small furniture, décor, and more.

Not sure what to bring or where to go? Check out the flyers below for donation locations and accepted items.
Plus — don't forget you can shop for free at Upper Flat on Tuesdays!

Reminder: We cannot accept used bedding, clothing, or trash.
Questions? Email sustainability@umbc.edu.

Let's keep useful items out of the landfill and support our fellow Retrievers! 

Welcome to the penultimate fall issue of the Provost's Perspective. As we head down the homestretch of 2025 I want to encourage each of you to finish the semester strong. Every day I am reminded of the strength and resiliency that is present in the UMBC Community. I am so proud of all you have accomplished this semester and how you support each other in our work together. Continue to support each other and our students through finals!

In recent weeks I've touched on several topics that I find relevant and timely. I have heard some people like the light(er) tone of the message whereas others would like to see a bit more substance. If there is a subject or topic that you feel should be covered (or have general feedback on the content), drop me a note here. Your feedback and input matters! 

Tuesday morning's delayed start was a good reminder that if you have not done so already, I encourage you to sign up for UMBC alerts. Once signed up, UMBC's Emergency Alert text-messaging system will send you alerts about campus emergencies and weather-related campus closures. (Standard text message rates apply.) Sign up for UMBC Campus Text Alerts here. 

Upcoming Events

End of Semester Celebration 2025

Join President Valerie Sheares Ashby for an end-of-year celebration for UMBC faculty and staff. 

Thursday, December 11, 2025

3-5 p.m.

University Center Ballroom

President Sheares Ashby will offer brief remarks at 4 p.m. The event will feature refreshments and live music performed by UMBC student jazz musicians.

Learn More

Winter Commencement

With winter Commencement just a few weeks away, we would love to have you join us for the celebrations at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.

Graduate School Ceremony | Wednesday, December 17, at 10 a.m.

Undergraduate Ceremony | Thursday, December 18, at 10 a.m.

If you plan to march in the procession, please register. Unfortunately we are past the deadline to order regalia.

Those who wish to participate as event staff are encouraged to sign up as well. Volunteers will receive separate instructions, but please note that arrival time will be 8 a.m. for doors opening at 9 a.m.

For more information and updates, please visit the Commencement website or email commencement@umbc.edu.

New Faculty Spotlights

Each week we feature the newest faculty members of our community.

Zelalem Jembre Yalew, Assistant Teaching Professor, CSEE

Areas of Research/Interest: Computer Networks: Multi-hop Wireless Networks

Fun Fact About Zelalem: I am so boring that I have none

Jude Agboada, Assistant Professor, Visual Arts

Areas of Research/Interest: As a visual communication designer and educator, I use dialogue as a tool to foster meaningful conversations. My practice investigates how community, identity, and culture are shaped through multidisciplinary approaches, ranging from artist books to public space activations. I am dedicated to developing new ways of creating connection by examining how people relate to one another, to the spaces they inhabit, and to the communicative strategies that enable those relationships. My current research focuses on language documentation and the architectural legacies of former colonial states. I also contribute as a team member at Tampered Press, a publication committed to amplifying the voices of writers and visual artists in Ghana, across Africa, and throughout the diaspora.

Fun Fact About Jude: Outside of work, my passion for new challenges led me to pick up skiing as an adult — and I've already logged 56 days on the slopes in one season.

Are you a new faculty member? Please take two minutes to fill out the form and submit your bio if you have not already done so.

New Staff Spotlights (Coming Soon)

Are you a staff member who joined UMBC in the last year? Email Aaron Burnett, director of provost communications, to be featured in an upcoming edition of the Provost's Perspective. 

Help Make this Newsletter Better

The goal each week of this message is to deepen our connection to UMBC, whether that is learning about an upcoming event, a divisional accomplishment, an innovative program, or an  update from the Office of the Provost. If you know of a program or event that should be highlighted, please share it here.

Until next week, 

Manfred van Dulmen