The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a forthcoming research security policy that will prohibit collaborations with entities appearing on U.S. restricted parties lists for NSF-funded research projects. Although the policy is not yet in effect, NSF has issued a Dear Colleague Letter to provide advance notice so that institutions and researchers can begin preparing for implementation. NSF anticipates […]
Announcements
NASA SciENcv Forms Now Available (Required Beginning September 1, 2026)
NASA has announced that the Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) is now live for creating NASA Biosketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support disclosure forms. What You Need to Know:NASA launched its new SciENcv-generated Biosketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support forms on June 25, 2026. Through August 31, 2026, investigators may submit either the current Microsoft Word fillable […]
Independence Day Closure
Announcement: The Department of Contracts and Grants, consistent with the University calendar, will be closed on Friday, July 3rd, in observance of the Independence Day holiday. Principal Investigators and Department Administrators should be mindful of this closure when planning the submission of proposals. Please be aware that the NIH due date for the following mechanisms is July 5: R01 – […]
Grants.gov “SAM Deactivation” Submission Error
The Department of Contracts and Grants (DCG) has been notified that Grants.gov is intermittently failing to validate SAM.gov registrations, triggering a false “inactive/deactivated” error that blocks proposal submission. USC’s SAM.gov registration is active and in good standing — this is a federal system issue, not a USC problem. Impact: Proposal submissions may be delayed minutes to several days […]
Federal Grant Regulations May Change This Fall
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed revisions to the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) — the federal rules governing the administration of grants and cooperative agreements. Released on May 29, 2026, the proposed rule could take effect as early as October 1, 2026. What Could Change? The revisions touch on how federal awards are issued, […]
NIH Reminder on the Definition of Foreign Components
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recently released Notice NOT-OD-26-084 to remind the extramural research community of NIH’s longstanding definition of a “foreign component” and related disclosure expectations. Importantly, NIH clarified that the agency has not changed or expanded the definition of a foreign component, even as oversight of foreign collaborations continues to increase. Why This Matters NIH […]