Faculty have an obligation to fully and consistently disclose resources, outside relationships and commitments to Harvard Medical School, external funders, publishers and the public. 

Sponsor and program requirements can vary. You should always review and follow the funding opportunity announcement, application instructions and sponsor guidelines before submitting any materials to a sponsor.  The information below represents the current NIH, NSF and DOD requirements related to information that should be included on Biosketches and Other Support/Current and Pending Support Pages.  In addition, guidance is provided on when collaborations related to a project would give rise to required reporting of a Foreign Component. We anticipate further requirements from other Federal Agencies in the weeks and months ahead. This page will be updated regularly as new information is available.

The HMS Office of Research Administration provides support related to all disclosures on grant applications, sponsor communications and sponsor reports. If you have questions please contact ORA at international_collaborations@hms.harvard.edu. 

          NIH         NSF          DOD

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH Biosketches

Investigators and Researchers should include positions, scientific appointments (paid or unpaid), honors and educational history on the Biosketch. Paid or unpaid positions and scientific appointments (both domestic and foreign) may be with other non-profit, governmental or commercial entities and educational or research institutions, including honorary positions, affiliations, joint positions, participation in Talents Programs, consortiums and other formal programs and relevant honors. This includes key relationships with industry or commercial entities.

NIH Biosketch Resources:

NIH Biosketch Format, Instructions and Samples

NIH Biosketch FAQ

NIH GPS

HMS ORA Step-by-Step guide to Creating an NIH Biosketch in SciENcv

SciENcv website and FAQ

SciENcv assistance manual

SciENcv instructional videos:

Information about current and upcoming changes for NIH Biosketches per NIH-OD-21-073

NIH Other Support Pages

Investigators and Research must disclose all available resources in support of their research endeavors, whether or not the resource is related to a specific grant application and regardless of whether the resource is paid or in-kind or whether it's based at Harvard or outside of Harvard. This includes:

  • All active and pending grants, whether or not they are based at HMS
  • Internal awards in direct support of a research project
  • Gifts to PIs/labs if they have associated terms and conditions
  • In-kind resources (e.g. office/lab space, equipment, personnel, materials not freely available, etc.). In-kind resources may not necessarily have a readily=ascertainable monetary value
  • External support made to a trainee or fellow working in the lab (e.g., “sponsored fellow” supporting your laboratory’s research efforts)
  • Consulting activities when researcher is conducting research as part of the consulting activities
  • All other resources (domestic or foreign) available in direct support of your research endeavors

Please note: start-up accounts from US based institutions, prizes, gifts, training awards and consulting activities/outside activities generally should NOT be included on an NIH Other Support Page unless the activity falls under one of the categories listed above. Consulting and Outside activities must be disclosed via the Outside Activities Reporting Portal.

NIH Other Support Resources

HTP Training Module: Disclosing Other Support: Guidance for Faculty and Key Personnel

NIH Agreements Decision Tree

NIH’s website with information, templates and samples of Other Support pages

NIH Other Support Form (Revised 12/2020)

NIH NOT-OD-19-114 and its accompanying FAQ for detailed information regarding what disclosures are required Other Support Pages, as well as disclosure examples and scenarios.

NIH July 21, 2020 policy topic: Protecting U.S. Biomedical Intellectual Innovation

NIH GPS

Harvard Other Support Guide Effective on 01/25/22

Harvard Other Support Template Effective on 01/25/22

Harvard Consulting Agreement Addendum

HMS ORA NIH Other Support Guidance Document and Template under Policies and Guidance: NIH Other Support 

Information about current and upcoming changes for NIH Other Support per NIH-OD-21-073

NIH Facilities and Other Resources and Equipment List

NIH requires applications (unless otherwise specified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement) to include an Equipment List and a Facilities and Resources description that describes how the investigator’s scientific environment will contribute to the success of the proposed project. Whereas Other Support pages require that an investigator disclose ALL resources available to support all of their research endeavors, the Equipment list and Facilities and Other Resources Page should only include resources available to complete the project described in the proposal. This information is used by the NIH to assess a PI and their organization’s capability to perform the research described in the proposal.

Resources: General Application Guide for NIH and Other PHS Agencies

NIH Foreign Component

NIH requires applicants and grant recipients to indicate whether a Foreign Component is included in any of the supported research activities.  The addition of a Foreign Component to a NIH funded project requires NIH Prior Approval BEFORE the activity or collaboration may begin.  Please use the Foreign Component Decision Guide to assist in determining if a collaboration or activity rises to the level of Foreign Component disclosure. Prior Approval for Foreign Components is requested through a disclosure on the proposal application or added to an ongoing NIH grant through a formal Prior Approval request. The HMS Office of Research Administration is available to consult with you to determine if an activity or collaboration meets the criteria of NIH Foreign Component and to submit any Prior Approval requests. Contact them at: international_collaborations@hms.harvard.edu.

If you think that you may have an undisclosed Foreign Component associated with your NIH project(s), please contact the Office of Research Administration at international_collaborations@hms.harvard.edu as soon as possible.    

Foreign Component Definition

The NIH defines a Foreign Component as the performance of any significant scientific element or segment of a project outside of the United States, either by the recipient or by a researcher employed by a foreign organization, whether or not grant funds are expended.

Foreign Component Criteria

The Foreign Component question should be checked “yes”  if the project includes an element or segment of the project that meets all of the following criteria:

  1. The project element or segment is performed outside of the United States.
  2. The project element or segment is in support of the specific aims of an NIH funded project.
  3. The project element or segment is considered significant* towards the completion of the NIH project aims. *(If you need help determining significance of an international element of segment, please see section below).
*Determining Significance of a Project Foreign Activity

Significant is subjective and requires careful judgement to determine if an activity rises to that level of involvement in the project. Faculty are encouraged to use the Foreign Component Decision Guide to assist in determining significance. Researchers may also contact HMS Office of research Administration at international_collaborations@hms.harvard.edu  for additional support with Foreign Component disclosure requirements.

Grant Manager and Administrators can also use the Evaluating a Foreign Component Guidance Document for a list of questions that may assist Faculty in determining if a foreign collaboration rises to the level of significant. If a researcher is unsure if a foreign activity in support of their NIH funded research is significant, please reach out to the Office of Research Administration at international_collaborations@hms.harvard.edu.

Activities that may be considered significant include, but are not limited to:
  1. the collaborations with investigators at a foreign site anticipated to result in co-authorship
  2. use of facilities or instrumentation at a foreign site, or
  3. receipt of financial support or resources from a foreign entity
Activities that should always be disclosed as a Foreign Component include, but are not limited to:
  1. the involvement of human subjects or animals residing in a foreign location,
  2. extensive foreign travel by recipient project staff for the purpose of data collection, surveying, sampling, and similar activities, or
  3. any activity of the recipient that may have an impact on U.S. foreign policy through involvement in the affairs or environment of a foreign country
NIH Foreign Component Resources:

Evaluating a Foreign Component Guidance Document

NIH Foreign Component Researcher Decisions Guide 

NIH NOT-OD-19-114 and its accompanying FAQ for detailed information regarding Foreign Components, as well as examples and scenarios.

NIH July 21, 2020 policy topic: Protecting U.S. Biomedical Intellectual Innovation

NIH GPS

National Science Foundation (NSF)

NSF Biographical Sketches

Required for all Senior Personnel and must include a list of the individual’s undergraduate and graduate education and postdoctoral training and a list, in reverse chronological order by start date of all the individual's academic, professional, or institutional appointments, beginning with the current appointment. Appointments include any titled academic, professional, or institutional position whether or not remuneration is received, and whether full-time, part-time, or voluntary (including adjunct, visiting, or honorary). Biographical sketches should also include a list of: (i) up to five products most closely related to the proposed project; and (ii) up to five other significant products, whether or not related to the proposed project; and, a list of up to five distinct examples that demonstrate the broader impact of the individual's professional and scholarly activities that focuses on the integration and transfer of knowledge as well as its creation (synergistic activities).

NSF Biosketch Resources:

The new NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide became effective for proposals submitted or due, and awards made, on or after June 1, 2020.

NSF-Approved Formats for Biosketches

NSF Table Relating to Biosketch and Current and Pending Support

SciENcv website

SciENcv FAQ

For Step by Step Instructions on preparing Biosketch see:

NSF Current and Pending Support Pages:

NSF requires each individual designated as a senior personnel on a proposal to disclose all resources made available to the individual in support of and/or related to all of his/her research efforts, regardless of whether or not they have monetary value, and regardless of source of support. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • All ongoing project support, regardless of source
  • The currently proposed project
  • All proposals currently under consideration from any source, irrespective of whether such support is provided through the proposing organization or is provided directly to the individual
  • All projects, activities or in-kind contributions requiring a portion of the individual’s time or effort
  • In-kind contributions (such as office/laboratory space, equipment, supplies, employees, students) not intended for use on the project being proposed. (In-kind contributions intended for use on the proposed project must be included as part of the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section of the proposal.)
NSF Current and Pending Support Page Resources:

HTP Training Module: Disclosing Other Support: Guidance for Faculty and Key Personnel

The new NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (effective for proposals submitted or due, and awards made, on or after June 1, 2020) requires the use of a new current and pending format.  

NSF-Approved Formats for Current and Pending Support

NSF Current and Pending FAQ

NSF Table Relating to Current and Pending Support and Biosketch

Details on changes to the NSF fillable Current and Pending Support format (effective 10/4/2021)

For step by step instructions on preparing Current and Pending Support see:

NSF Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources Pages:

NSF requires applications (unless otherwise specified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement) to include a Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section that describes how the investigator’s scientific environment will contribute to the success of the proposed project. Whereas Current and Pending pages require that an investigator disclose ALL resources available to support all of their research endeavors, the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section should only include resources available to complete the project described in the proposal. Proposers should include an aggregated description of the internal and external resources (both physical and personnel) that the organization and its collaborators will provide to the project, should it be funded. This information is used by the funder to assess the adequacy of the resources available to perform the effort proposed.

NSF Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources Page Resources:

The new NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide became effective for proposals submitted or due, and awards made, on or after June 1, 2020.

NSF International Activities:

For each proposal that describes an international activity, PIs should list the primary countries involved on the application Cover Sheet. For international activities added to an ongoing NSF grant, a Prior Approval request must be submitted through ORA at international_collaborations@hms.harvard.edu  BEFORE the international activity begins.

An international activity is defined as research, training, and/or education carried out in cooperation with foreign counterparts either overseas or in the U.S. using virtual technologies.

If a proposal indicates that a Foreign Organization or an International Branch Campus of a US Institution of Higher Education (IHE) will be funded, either through a subaward on consultant agreement, the proposer must also enter the name of the applicable country(ies) in the International Activities Country Names box on the Cover Sheet.

If you think that you may have an undisclosed International Activity associated with your NSF project(s), please contact the Office of Research Administration at international_collaborations@hms.harvard.edu as soon as possible.    

NSF International Activities Resources:

The new NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide became effective for proposals submitted or due, and awards made, on or after June 1, 2020.

Department of Defense (DOD)

DOD Biographical Sketch:

HMS recommends that investigators include all paid or unpaid positions with non-profit or commercial entities or academic or research institutions, including honorary positions, affiliated positions, joint positions, participation in Talents Programs, and relevant honors.

DOD Current and Pending Support:

The Department of Defense requires submission of the following information for all individuals listed as Key Personnel on a grant proposal, whether or not the individuals’ efforts on the project are funded by the DOD.

  • A list of all current projects the individual is working on, in addition to any future support the individual has applied to receive, regardless of the source. Each disclosure should include:
  • Title and objectives of the other research projects.
  • The percentage per year to be devoted to the other projects.
  • The total amount of support the individual is receiving in connection to each of the other research projects or will receive if other proposals are awarded.
  • Name and address of the agencies and/or other parties supporting the other research projects.
  • Period of performance for the other research projects.
DOD Current and Pending Support Resources:

DOD Memorandum from Defense Undersecretary March 20, 2019

DOD Research Resources Page:

If requested, a DOD grant application may require a narrative description of Research Resources available to perform the proposed project. Follow the instructions in the Program Announcement or Request for Proposal to include any required information about facilities, equipment, or other resources required to complete a specifically described scope of work.