Using SciENcv Frequently Asked Questions

Updated August 1, 2024

Use of SciENcv to prepare biographical sketch and current and

pending (other) support documents is mandatory.

General SciENcv Questions

1. What training resources are available to guide users on how to use SciENcv?

The following materials are available to guide NSF users through the preparation of

the NSFdocuments available in SciENcv:

• NSF Biographical Sketch Video Tutorial

• NSF Current and Pending (Other) Support Video Tutorial

• SciENcv Help Manual with NSF-specific sections (including screenshots and step-by-

step instructions)

• Implementing the Common Forms for the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending

(Other) Support (April 2024 NSF/NIH Webinar and Demo)

• SciENcv Demo (demo starts at 38:25 minute mark) (Spring 2024 NSF Grants

Conference)

2. How do I access SciENcv?

Users can access SciENcv by visiting https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sciencv/.

Using SciENcv FAQs

3. Do I need to create a SciENcv/National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)

account?

No. Users do not need to create SciENcv/NCBI accounts to prepare and generate their NSF

documents. While there are several ways to log into the system, NSF encourages users to

sign in to SciENcv with their Research.gov credentials (NSF ID and password).

Users selecting the "National Science Foundation" login option, highlighted above, will be

directed to sign in via Research.gov. Users will be automatically redirected back to SciENcv

after sign-in. Users signing into Research.gov with organization-issued credentials

(InCommon Federation participants) or Login.gov credentials will be prompted to first link

their account to their NSF account in Research.gov. For assistance to sign into

Research.gov or to link InCommon and Login.gov accounts, users can contact the NSF IT

Service Desk at 1-800-381-1532 (7:00 AM - 9:00 PM ET; Monday - Friday except federal

holidays) or via [email protected]. If Research.gov is unavailable during planned maintenance,

users can log into SciENcv via an alternative method by selecting the More Options button.

4. Who should I contact if I can't sign into SciENcv using my Research.gov credentials (NSF

ID and password)?

Please verify that you have registered in Research.gov for an NSF ID and password and that

your credentials are correct. Use the links below if you have forgotten your NSF ID or

password:

• Forgot ID

• Forgot Password

• If you need assistance to sign into Research.gov or to link your organization-issued

(InCommon Federation participants) or Login.gov accounts with your NSF ID, please

contact the NSF I T Service Desk at [email protected] or at 1-800-381-1532 (7:00 AM -

9:00 PM ET; Monday - Friday except federal holidays)

Using SciENcv FAQs

5. Who do I contact if I have questions?

For NIH SciENcv technical questions or immediate assistance, please contact the NIH

Help Desk (7:30 AM – 5:30 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday except for federal

holidays):

• Email the NIH Help Desk: [email protected]

• Create a ticket: https://support.nlm.nih.gov/support/create-case/

For NSF technical questions or immediate assistance unrelated to SciENcv, please

contact the NSF I T Service Desk (7:00 AM – 9:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through

Friday except for federal holidays):

• Email the NSF IT Service Desk: [email protected]

• Call the NSF IT Service Desk: 1-800-381-1532

• NSF policy-related questions should be directed to [email protected]

6. How do I access the SciENcv portal after I've signed in?

After signing in, users see either the My NCBI page (below) or the SciENcv documents page.

On the My NCBI page, the link under SciENcv navigates to the SciENcv documents page.

The My NCBI page content may differ if the user has customized the page.

Using SciENcv FAQs

The SciENcv documents page is shown.

The My NCBI link at the top of the page navigates to the My NCBI page.

7. How do I create and manage my SciENcv documents?

The Create New Document links on the SciENcv documents page navigates to the Create

a New Document page.

Using SciENcv FAQs

Edit an existing document by clicking its name. Edit or delete an existing document by

clicking the Edit link.

Edit or delete an existing document.

8. Do I go to the same module to create both my biographical sketch and my

current and pending (other) support documents?

Yes. Users create and manage their biographical sketch and current and pending (other)

support documents in the same SciENcv documents section of the application.

Using SciENcv FAQs

After clicking "Manage SciENcv" on the My NCBI page, users can click "Create New

Document" to prepare new NSF biographical sketch or current and pending (other) support

documents.

Users select which document type to create. The "NIH Biosketch" is selected by default

so be sure to select the appropriate document type (i.e., NSF Biographical Sketch or

NSF Current and Pending (Other) Support).

Using SciENcv FAQs

9. Can I delegate access to someone assisting me with document preparation?

Yes. The My NCBI account holder can add one or more delegates for their My NCBI

account. Once a delegate has accepted their invitation, the delegate(s) can view, edit, and

create documents in the original account holder’s SciENcv, as well as edit the account

holder’s My Bibliography information.

TO SEND A DELEGATE REQUEST:

1. Log in to your My NCBI account.

2. Select your username in the top-right corner of the screen and select Account Settings.

3. On the NCBI Account Settings page, under “Delegates,” select “Add a delegate”.

4. Enter your delegate’s email address and select "OK".

TO ACCEPT A DELEGATE REQUEST:

1. Log in to your My NCBI account.

2. Check your email for the delegate request. If you haven’t received the request email, be

sure to check your spam folder – the email comes from [email protected].

3. Use the link in the delegate request email to accept and confirm the delegation.

TO SEE IF A DELEGATE HAS ACCEPTED YOUR REQUEST:

1. Log in to your My NCBI account.

2. Select your username in the top-right corner of the screen to access the Account

Settings page.

3. If you have sent one or more delegate requests, you will see a table in the Delegates

section.

In this example, "(Awaiting confirmation)" appears because the delegation request

has not yet been accepted. The delegate may need the instructions on how to accept

a delegate request.

Using SciENcv FAQs

When the username appears, the request has been accepted.

TO CONTROL WHAT A DELEGATE HAS ACCESS TO:

1. Log in to your My NCBI account.

2. Select your username in the top-right corner of the screen to access the Account

Settings page.

3. Use the table in the delegates section to control what your delegates can access.

If the “MyBib” box is checked, the delegate can view and edit My Bibliography and

Other Citations collections. If the “SciENcv” box is checked, the delegate can create,

view, and change the SciENcv products. The Public or Private settings on the My

Bibliography or SciENcv screens do not affect whether your delegate can view and

make changes to these resources. To remove a delegate, click the trash can icon under

Remove. To limit delegate access, use the checkboxes as appropriate.

Using SciENcv FAQs

TO ACCESS A DELEGATOR’S SCIENCV:

1. Log in to your My NCBI account.

2. If you have been granted access to your delegator’s My Bibliography, you will see those

items listed in your collections list.

3. If you have been granted access to your delegator’s SciENcv, you will be able to access it

from your SciENcv portal:

Using SciENcv FAQs

10. Can a delegate certify and generate the delegator's PDF files in SciENcv?

A delegate cannot certify a document on the delegator's behalf and cannot generate and

download a PDF file that has not yet been certified. When the delegate clicks DOWNLOAD

PDF, the Certification Required message appears for the biographical sketch or current and

pending (other) support document with the delegator's email address. The delegate clicks

SEND NOTIFICATION to notify the delegator by email that the file requires certifications.

The delegator must log in to SciENcv and certify each document created for them by a

delegate. When the delegator clicks DOWNLOAD PDF, a Certification message appears.

This message appears for the biographical sketch document.

This message appears for the current and pending (other) support document.

Using SciENcv FAQs

A delegate can download the delegator's documents that have been previously certified as

PDF files and will not see the Certification Required message.

11. What actions are allowed after downloading a certified PDF file from SciENcv?

A generated PDF file can be renamed. However, a file must not be exported or opened and

re-saved in another application. This would affect the metadata of the file so that it could not

be uploaded to Research.gov and Grants.gov.

12. What should I do if I see an invalid signature notification banner when I view my

proposal in Adobe Acrobat?

NSF does not allow for a digital signature on biographical sketch and current and pending

(other) support documents. The notification banner does not prevent proposal submission or

review, and no action is required by proposers. An example of the banner is shown.

13. What should I do if I need to use special characters, but the system does not recognize

these characters?

If your special characters such as Greek characters are rejected, you can spell out each

character (e.g., type "omega" instead of "Ω").

14. How do I link my ORCID iD to SciENcv to populate my biographical sketch?

1. While logged in to SciENcv, cl ick your login ID in the upper right corner of the screen.

Using SciENcv FAQs

2. Select Account Settings, and under Linked Accounts select Add account.

3. Search on "orcid" and select ORCiD.

4. When you are prompted, log in to your ORCID account. The system will take you

back to SciENcv and the link will appear with a success message.

Using SciENcv FAQs

Biographical Sketch Questions

1. Can I reorder the product citations in my biographical sketch?

Yes. Users can reorder their products as desired by dragging and dropping the citations. The

generated PDF will reflect the order displayed on the screen.

2. Although there is no longer a three-page limit for the biographical sketch, the

publication citations I imported into my SciENcv biographical sketch cause my

document to be very long. What options do I have to generate a shorter document?

Users importing publication citations to populate the products sections of the biographical

sketch have the option of manually editing these citations. The list of authors' names can be

edited and "et al." used in lieu of including the complete list of names.

1. In Section C. Products, click SELECT RELATED PRODUCTS.

2. Click "MANAGE MY BIBLIOGRAPHY"

Go to the 'My Bibliography' page and click the 'Edit Non-PubMed Article' button next to the

manually entered citation to edit the list of authors' names.

Using SciENcv FAQs

NSF instructions for the biographical sketch, including citation guidance, are available in

Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) Chapter II.D.2.h(i) and on the

biographical sketch page.

3. Can I reorder the appointments in my biographical sketch?

Professional preparation and appointments must be provided in accordance with PAPPG

Chapter II.D.2.h(i)(a)(4). A user with more than one current appointment or position can

select a primary appointment or position.

4. How do I submit Synergistic Activities?

The Synergistic Activities section has been removed from the biographical sketch. This

information must now be submitted as a separate, one-page document by individuals

designated as senior/key persons as part of the senior/key personnel documents in

Research.gov and Grants.gov. See PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.h(iv) on Synergistic Activities.

5. W ill non-compliant biographical sketch documents receive an error message in

Research.gov and Grants.gov?

Yes. Biographical sketch documents are tagged with identifiers indicating they were prepared

in SciENcv using the proper version. Biographical sketch documents not prepared in

SciENcv using the proper version will trigger a compliance error message that will prevent

document upload in Research.gov and Grants.gov.

Using SciENcv FAQs

6. How do I determine the SciENcv biographical sketch PDF file version and revision date

so I can ensure that I am uploading the correct version?

The biographical sketch PDF file shows the version at the bottom of the page followed the

form revision date in parenthesis. The v.2024-1 version is required for proposals submitted

or due on or after May 20, 2024.

7. Can biographical sketch PDFs generated in SciENcv prior to May 20, 2024, be uploaded

in Research.gov and Grants.gov on or after May 20, 2024?

For

proposals submitted to Research.gov and Grants.gov on or after May 20, 2024, the

uploaded biographical sketch PDF must be the v.2024-1 version.

8. Will SciE Ncv automatically convert my old biographical sketch to the new version when

I open it?

No. SciENcv will not automatically convert old biographical sketches to the 2024-1 version. A

warning banner will appear when an outdated version of a biographical sketch is opened

explaining how to copy the old information to the new version of the form.

Using SciENcv FAQs

Current and Pending (Other) Support Questions

1. In the current and pending (other) support section, I am unable to enter "0" as a

value in the "Person- Months Committed" field for one of my entries. How should

I proceed?

Individuals should only include projects to which they are committing time/person months.

Please remove this entry from your current and pending (other) support documentation and

re-generate your PDF document so your proposal contains accurate support information. For

additional information, see the NSF-issued set of FAQs on Current and Pending (Other)

Support.

2. In the current and pending (other) support section, how should I document the

"Person-Month(s) or (Partial Person-Months) Per Year Committed to the Project" for

sources of support/in-kind contributions that operate on a fiscal year calendar?

Proposers should enter the later of the two years in the "Year" field.

For example, if your fiscal year is September 2023 through August 2024, you would enter

“2024” for the year and include the corresponding person-months for the “year” time period as

defined and used by your organization in proposals submitted to NSF. In the example above,

“year” has been defined by the organization as their fiscal year.

3. Does current and pending (other) support information prepared in SciENcv

automatically link to NSF systems?

No. Proposers must submit the current and pending (other) support documents to NSF

after they have been prepared in SciENcv. SciENcv produces an NSF-compliant PDF

version of the current and pending (other) support document. Proposers must save

these documents and submit them as part of their proposals via Research.gov or

Grants.gov.

4. Will SciENcv paginate the current and pending support document?

Yes. SciENcv will insert pagination in the lower left corner of the current and pending (other)

support document.

5. When responding to a Program Officer’s request for updated current and pending

(other) support documents, how can I ensure the PDF files are the correct version?

The form version and the form revision date are shown at the bottom of each page. NSF will

require all senior/key personnel on potential awards to submit updated current and pending

(other) support information prior to making a funding recommendation.

Using SciENcv FAQs

The date the file was last modified appears on the Description tab of the Adobe Acrobat

Document Properties feature.

6. Will non-compliant current and pending (other) support documents receive an error

message in Research.gov and Grants.gov?

Yes. Current and pending (other) support documents are tagged with identifiers indicating

they were prepared in SciENcv and are the proper version. Current and pending (other)

support documents not prepared in SciENcv using the proper version will trigger a compliance

error message that will prevent document upload in Research.gov and Grants.gov.

7. Can current and pending (other) support PDFs generated in SciENcv prior to May 20,

2024, be uploaded in Research.gov and Grants.gov on or after May 20, 2024?

For proposals submitted to Research.gov and Grants.gov on or after May 20, 2024, including

proposal file updates and any current and pending (other) support updates submitted for

Research Performance Progress Reports, the uploaded current and pending (other) support

PDF must be the v.2024-1 version.

Using SciENcv FAQs

8. Will SciE Ncv automatically convert my old current and pending (other) support

document to the new version when I open it?

Yes. The system automatically converts existing current and pending (other) support documents

to the new v.2024-1 version when the file is accessed.

Using SciENcv FAQs