OSPA, in partnership with Research Information Services (RIS), launched an AI-enabled tool to streamline award receipt and account setup for select sponsors, including DHHS, NSF and USDA.
Letters of Intent (LOIs), preliminary proposals and preliminary abstracts may still require full internal routing, review and approval, even if they are not considered full proposals by the sponsor.
Beginning with proposal submissions due on or after March 1, 2026, UK will implement updated internal deadlines outlined in the VPR Late Policy. Internal deadlines: 6 business days (administrative + draft science) and 4 business days (final science) before the sponsor deadline.
Once an Internal Approval Form (IAF) begins routing, approvers now have 72 hours to review and either approve or reject the form. If no action is taken within that timeframe, the system will record an automatic approval and move the IAF forward.
To improve transparency and ensure all required items are completed, OSPA has implemented a new “N” (Notification of Award Received) status along with an Account Setup Checklist.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released two programmatic updates on the agency’s research priorities and on the terms and conditions for agency-funded grants.
Beginning with applications and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs) due on or after January 25, 2026, National Institutes of Health (NIH) will require use of the new Common Forms for Biosketch and Current & Pending Support documents.
