SciENcv recently updated the digital certificate used to validate electronic signatures on Biographical Sketch and Current & Pending (Other) Support documents.

As a result, any documents generated in SciENcv before Sept. 19 contain an expired certificate. These previously created documents will not pass signature validation and will need to be regenerated in SciENcv prior to submitting an application on or after Sept. 26.

Sponsors Affected

The following sponsors use eRA Commons for application submissions:

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Action Required

For applications submitted via eRA Commons on or after Sept. 26, 2026, any and all SciENcv PDFs (e.g., Biosketches) that were generated/uploaded prior to Sept. 19 must be replaced with a newly downloaded version.

For Research Administrators

1. Verify the certificate date for all SciENcv Biosketch and Current & Pending (Other) Support PDFs included in the application for all PIs and other senior/key personnel. The “Valid to” date must be after Sept. 26, 2026. If the “Valid to” date is Sept. 26, 2026, or earlier, a new copy of the applicable document is needed.
2. If you have SciENcv delegate access, download a new copy of the applicable document directly from SciENcv and verify that the digital certification is valid and current.
   • If you do not have delegate access, send the instructions below to the PI and other senior/key personnel and ask them to provide a newly downloaded PDF.
     • Note: This may apply to subaward key personnel and others outside NC State.
3. Replace the existing PDF in the application with the newly downloaded version. Repeat this process for each affected person and document.
4. Do not edit, flatten, print to PDF, or otherwise modify the SciENcv-generated file after downloading it — other than renaming the file if needed.

For PIs and Other Senior/Key Personnel

If requested to provide a replacement SciENcv document:

1. Log in to SciENcv.
2. Open the applicable Biosketch or Current & Pending (Other) Support document.
3. Review the information to ensure it’s still current and accurate.
4. Download a new PDF and send the new file to your research administrator.

More Info

Please direct any questions to your College Research Office.