NIH Biosketch Template

A complete NIH biosketch you can edit: personal statement, positions and honors, and contributions to science.

An NIH biosketch drafting worksheet for the SciENcv Common Form and Supplement

NIH BIOSKETCH DRAFTING WORKSHEET
(Common Form plus NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement, for due dates on or after January 25, 2026)

You cannot submit this file. NIH now accepts the biosketch only as a PDF generated and certified in SciENcv, with your eRA Commons and ORCID accounts linked. Use this worksheet to draft the text, then paste each part into the matching SciENcv section.

PART 1: COMMON FORM (SciENcv pulls much of this from ORCID)

Identifying information
Name: [Last, First, Middle]
ORCID iD: [0000-0000-0000-0000]
Position title and organization: [for example, Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Example University]

Appointments and positions
[YYYY] to present | [Title], [Department], [Organization]
[YYYY] to [YYYY] | [Title], [Department], [Organization]

Products closely related to the proposed project (up to 5)
1. [Product, for example a paper, dataset, software, or patent]
2. [Product]

Other significant products (up to 5)
1. [Product]
2. [Product]

PART 2: NIH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH SUPPLEMENT (no citations allowed in these sections)

A. Personal statement (up to 3,500 characters including spaces)
Why you are well suited to your role on this specific project, illustrated as an example: "My laboratory has spent eight years studying how scaffold stiffness directs stem cell fate, the mechanism Aim 1 tests. I led the pilot study that produced the preliminary data in this application and run the mechanical testing core the project relies on." [Write two to four short paragraphs. Refer to your work in words, not citations.]

B. Honors
[YYYY] [Honor or award]
[YYYY] [Honor or award]

C. Contributions to science (up to 5, each up to 2,000 characters including spaces)
1. [Theme of the contribution]
Background: [the problem or gap before your work]
Central findings: [what you found]
Influence: [how it changed the field, health, or technology]
Your role: [what you specifically did]
[You may refer to products from your Other Significant Products list. No figures, tables, or citations.]

2. [Second contribution, same four parts]

3. [Third contribution, same four parts]

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HOW TO USE THIS WORKSHEET (delete before pasting)

1. Check the current form first. Confirm the format and character limits in force for your due date in the NIH notices and the SciENcv instructions on grants.nih.gov. SciENcv enforces the limits as you type.
2. The old format no longer applies. Citation lists, PMCID lists, and a five-page standard biosketch belong to the retired format and are not accepted for due dates on or after January 25, 2026.
3. Tailor the personal statement to this application. Name the project and the aims your experience supports.
4. Lead each contribution with its influence, then your role. Reviewers skim for both.
5. Build it early. Linking ORCID, eRA Commons, and SciENcv, then certifying the form, takes time that applicants often leave until the last week.

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This NIH biosketch template is a drafting worksheet laid out in the order of the current SciENcv forms: the Common Form (preparation, positions, products) and the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement (personal statement, honors, contributions to science). Draft and edit your text here, then paste each part into SciENcv, which NIH now requires for the final, certified document.

The format changed in 2026

For applications due on or after January 25, 2026, NIH adopted the federal Biographical Sketch Common Form and added an NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement. After a transition period, the leniency for the old format ended in May 2026, and the eRA submission system now rejects biosketches that are not the certified Common Form. Key differences from the older biosketch many investigators still have on file:

SciENcv only. There is no blank form to download and fill in. The biosketch must be generated and certified in SciENcv, and you need an ORCID iD linked to your eRA Commons profile.
No page limit, but character limits. The personal statement is capped at 3,500 characters including spaces, roughly three quarters of a page, and each contribution to science at 2,000 characters.
Citations moved out of the narrative. Publications now go in the Common Form's Products section: up to five products most closely related to the project and up to five other significant products. The personal statement and contributions to science cannot contain full citations; refer to your listed products instead.
Up to five contributions to science, each describing the background, your central findings, their influence, and your role.
Professional preparation needs start and end dates for each degree or training period.

Confirm the details for your deadline in the current NIH notices and the SciENcv help pages, since NIH can adjust forms between cycles.

Converting an old biosketch

If you are starting from a biosketch written in the old format, this is where each section goes now.

Old section	Where it goes now	What to change
Education and training table	Common Form, Professional Preparation	Add start dates as well as completion dates
A. Personal Statement	Supplement, Personal Statement	Cut to 3,500 characters; replace the numbered citation list with references to your products
B. Positions and Employment, Other Experience	Common Form, Appointments and Positions	List all current appointments, paid or unpaid, inside and outside your institution
B. Honors	Supplement, Honors	Keep as is; include licensures or board certifications if you hold them
C. Contributions to Science	Supplement, Contributions to Science	Keep each to 2,000 characters; remove the citation lists and refer to your significant products
Citations under A and C	Common Form, Products	Choose up to five related and five other significant products from ORCID or My Bibliography

Writing the narrative so it survives the limits

The 3,500-character personal statement leaves room for about three short paragraphs. Use the first to name this project and your role in it, the second to connect one or two of your related products to specific aims, and the third for the expertise or collaborations that close any gap a reviewer might see. Cut generic lines such as "I have the expertise, training, and motivation" first, because every applicant writes them.

For contributions to science, lead with the problem you solved, not the techniques you used. Count characters as you go; word processors show a character count, and SciENcv enforces the limit, including any formatting tags.

Write the biosketch after the aims are settled, using our specific aims template, so the personal statement can point at real aims. For an annotated sample of a finished biosketch, see our NIH biosketch example, and for the wider application process, our overview of NIH grants. Our NIH application writing team prepares full research applications, including biosketch narratives, for investigators and small businesses.

Frequently asked questions

What are the changes to the NIH biosketch format in 2026?+

For application due dates on or after January 25, 2026, NIH replaced its own biosketch with the federal Biographical Sketch Common Form plus an NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement. The Common Form covers professional preparation, appointments and positions, and up to 10 products. The Supplement holds the personal statement (up to 3,500 characters including spaces), honors, and up to five contributions to science (up to 2,000 characters each), with no full citations in either narrative. Both must be prepared and certified in SciENcv, and NIH ended its leniency period for the old format in May 2026.

How do I create an NIH biosketch in SciENcv?+

Sign in to SciENcv through your NCBI account, link your ORCID iD (which must also be linked to your eRA Commons profile), and make sure your publications are in ORCID or My Bibliography. Then create a new document using the NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form, complete the Supplement sections, and certify it yourself. A delegate can edit a draft but cannot certify it for you. Download the certified PDF and attach it unchanged, because editing the PDF outside SciENcv invalidates the certification.

What is the difference between a resume and a biosketch?+

A resume or curriculum vitae is a complete record of your career, written for any reader. A biosketch is a short, structured document written for one application: it shows reviewers that your training, positions, and past work make you the right person for the specific project being proposed. NIH controls its sections and limits, and you rewrite the narrative parts for each application.

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