Announcement: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides access to a growing volume of controlled-access data, including sensitive genomic, clinical, and participant-level information. As data sharing requirements expand, so do expectations for how institutions secure, manage, and govern access to this data. NIH policies increasingly align with federal security standards, placing greater responsibility on both researchers and institutions […]
NIH Guidance on Collaborative International Research Project (PF5) Applications
Announcement: On March 19, 2026, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published new guidance in the NIH Extramural Nexus outlining the required and optional components of a Collaborative International Research Project (PF5) application. The article provides clarification on what must be included in each section of the application and highlights common areas that require careful attention during proposal preparation. The guidance includes a […]
MicroLearning Monday – Service vs. Research at USC: Understanding Service Agreements
Welcome back to MicroLearning Mondays, our biweekly series of bite-sized research administration trainings brought to you by the Department of Contracts and Grants. This week’s topic: Service vs. Research at USC: Understanding Service Agreements Why It Matters: Service Agreements fall outside USC’s sponsored research framework and must be properly classified and managed to ensure compliance, protect intellectual property, […]
NIH Security Best Practices for Users of NIH Controlled Access Data Repositories (CADRs)
Announcement: Effective February 25, 2026, all downloads of data from NIH designated Controlled-Access Data Repositories (CADR), must meet a set of stringent cybersecurity standards found in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800.171. These cybersecurity standards, which were first applied to NIH genomic repositories beginning in January 2025, now extend to all […]
MicroLearning Monday – ClinicalTrials.gov at USC: Registration, Reporting & Responsibilities
Welcome back to MicroLearning Mondays, our biweekly series of bite-sized research administration trainings brought to you by the Department of Contracts and Grants. This week’s topic: ClinicalTrials.gov at USC: Registration, Reporting & Responsibilities Why It Matters: ClinicalTrials.gov registration and reporting are federal requirements for many clinical trials involving human participants. Failure to properly register studies, update records, or […]
NIH RPPR Update – Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP) Certification Now Required
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has implemented a new requirement in all RPPR’s requiring all Senior/Key Personnel to upload a signed certification confirming that they are not participating in a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP) at the time of submission. To assist the USC research community with this new requirement, the Department of Contracts and […]