1 — PROFILE. Build & Maintain Your Researcher Profile
An accurate, up-to-date researcher profile makes it easier to prepare required proposal documents and reduces last-minute work when an opportunity arises. SciENcv provides a centralized way to maintain professional information and generate federally required researcher documents in approved formats.
Use SciENcv to create and maintain information for documents such as Biographical Sketch/Common Forms and Current and Pending (Other) Support, as required by the sponsoring agency. Because requirements vary by sponsor and funding opportunity, always review the current solicitation before preparing final documents.
SciENcv – Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae
TIP: Keep your SciENcv information current throughout the year. Updating appointments, support, affiliations, and other information as changes occur is much easier than reconstructing everything when a proposal deadline is approaching.
PRO TIP: YOUR BIO IS PART OF YOUR CASE!
Reviewers don't read your biosketch simply to confirm who you are. They use it to assess whether you and your team have the expertise, experience, and track record to carry out the proposed work successfully.
Treat your biosketch as part of the proposal's larger argument. Where the sponsor's format allows, emphasize the experience and accomplishments most relevant to the proposed project, and make sure the expertise described throughout the proposal is supported by the personnel documents reviewers will see.
Think strategically: Across the project team, do the bios demonstrate that you have the right expertise to accomplish every major component of the work?
2 — DOCUMENTS. Know Your Personnel Documents
Personnel documents help sponsors understand each investigator's expertise, professional commitments, research support, and potential relationships relevant to proposal review. Requirements vary by agency, so always follow the solicitation and current sponsor guidance.
Current & Pending (Other) Support provides information about an investigator's active and pending research activities and other sources of support. Federal agencies increasingly use standardized Common Forms generated through SciENcv, although agency-specific requirements may still apply. Keep support information current and review it carefully for completeness before submission.
Collaborators & Other Affiliations (COA) information is used by agencies such as NSF to help identify potential conflicts when selecting proposal reviewers. Investigators should maintain an accurate record of collaborators, institutional affiliations, advisors, advisees, and other relationships specified by the sponsor.
TIP: Don't wait until proposal preparation to reconstruct your collaborations and support history. Maintaining these records as projects and professional relationships change can prevent a surprisingly time-consuming deadline-day task.
3 — TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS. Stay Research-Ready
Research training and certification requirements help ensure that investigators understand their responsibilities before sponsored research begins. Requirements vary by sponsor, project type, and an individual's role on the project, so researchers should check their status early and complete applicable requirements well before an award is ready to begin.
At MSU, common requirements may include:
- PI Ready (coming soon) — institutional preparation for serving as a principal investigator on sponsored projects.
- Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) — beginning July 1, 2026, PIs and co-PIs on federally funded awards must complete MSU's required RCR training before OSP can release the award. MSU currently requires both its Canvas training and the appropriate CITI RCR course.
- Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI/COI) — investigators working on federally funded research or submitting federal proposals must complete COI training at least every four years and maintain the required disclosure. MSU's COI training is now administered through CITI.
- Project-specific training and approvals — additional requirements may apply when research involves human participants, animals, biosafety considerations, export controls, or other regulated activities.
→ Check Your Research Training Status
MSU Office of Research Compliance & Security – RCR & Training
TIP: Don't treat training as an award-stage problem. MSU recommends completing applicable RCR training soon after proposal submission to avoid delays, and some requirements—particularly FCOI—apply during the proposal process itself.
4 — CHECK. Before You Submit
Before your proposal moves forward, take a final look at the requirements that apply to you as an investigator. A quick readiness check can help prevent missing documents, outdated information, incomplete training, or unresolved compliance requirements from creating problems later.
Before you submit, confirm that:
- Your SciENcv profile and required personnel documents are current and complete.
- Your Current & Pending (Other) Support accurately reflects active and pending activities and other required support.
- Your Collaborators & Other Affiliations (COA) information is current, when required by the sponsor.
- Required PI Ready, RCR, and FCOI/COI training and certifications are complete and current.
- You have identified any project-specific compliance requirements, such as human subjects, animal subjects, biosafety, export controls, research security, or other applicable reviews.
- You have reviewed the funding solicitation for sponsor-specific personnel requirements that may go beyond standard institutional or federal requirements.
REMEMBER: Requirements can vary by sponsor and by project. When in doubt, check the solicitation and work with the appropriate MSU research support office before the deadline.