Issue: ORN-2026-06

NSF SECURE Center Research Security Briefing

February 13, 2026

NASA Release Research Security Training Requirements: NASA has issued Grant Information Circular 26-02 (GIC 26-02) to implement the research security training (RST) and certification requirements mandated by Section 10634 of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 for all research grant and cooperative agreement proposals submitted to the agency. Under the circular, covered individuals must certify on their Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support forms that they have completed RST within the 12 months prior to proposal submission.  Covered individuals who join a funded project after award must also submit the required certifications.  “Covered individuals” are defined as:

• Any Principal Investigator (PI), regardless of level of effort
• Any Co-PI, regardless of level of effort
• Any Co-investigator (Co-I) proposing to spend ten percent or more of their time in any given year on a NASA-funded award

In addition, applicant entities will certify that each covered individual employed by the entity and listed on the proposal has met the RST requirement by signing a certification in NASA’s Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). The agency will implement these requirements beginning August 5, 2026.  Acceptable training includes any program that meets the statutory criteria.  NASA specifically recognizes NSF SECURE Center’s Consolidated Training Module (CTM) as a compliant option.

NIH Adjusts Timeline for Compliance with Common Forms via SciENcv: On February 4, 2026, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued NOT-OD-26-033,“Adjusted Timeline for NIH’s Implementation of Common Forms,” confirming that NIH will not withdraw initial applications, JITs, RPPRs, or Prior Approvals submitted on or after January 25 that fail to use Common Forms via SciENcv for Biographical Sketches, Current and Pending (Other) Support and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplements, as the agency had previously communicated.  Instead, NIH will provide a warning message when the Common Forms are not used.  Applicants and recipients are still encouraged to begin using the Common Forms as soon as possible.

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DOE’s Office of Science is now Accepting Applications for Graduate Student Research Awards

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is pleased to announce that the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is now accepting applications for the 2026 solicitation 1. Applications are due on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET. 

SCGSR application assistance workshops will be held on March 5, 2026, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. ET (register on Zoom) and April 9, 2026, 2:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. ET (register on Zoom). The first workshop will provide a general overview of the program and application requirements. It will also include time for attendees to discuss their potential research topics and their alignment with the SCGSR priority areas with managers of each participating program office. The second workshop will guide attendees through the application process, answer general questions, provide guidance on proposal writing, and feature discussions with scientists and former awardees. Additionally, the program manager will host virtual office hours every Friday 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET starting on March 6, 2026 via this Zoom link. More information on the SCGSR program can be found by visiting the SCGSR program website or by emailing the SCGSR team.