Once you have Created a Biosketch and selected "NIH Biosketch", you can fill in or import information for each of the sections.
An NIH biosketch has four sections:
Then, you can export it for submission.
For users creating an NIH Biosketch: if an eRA Commons account is associated with the SciENcv account, you might observe a change in how the eRA Commons ID is displaying as a number rather than as a username. The author of this guide confirmed in late June 2025 with NIH Helpdesk that "new documents in SciENcv will now display your eRA Commons Person ID instead of the username."
This section details the education and training history of the researcher. It should include baccalaureate or other initial professional education (like nursing). It should also include postdoctoral, residency, and clinical fellowship training, listing each separately.
Step 1. If you did not import or copy previously-entered information, then click "add one" under the Education/Training heading.
If you did import information, but need to add additional entries, click "add another degree/training" in the lower left of the box.
If you need to edit an entry, click the "Edit entries" link next to the heading. Be sure to click the "Done" option once you have made your edits!
Step 2.
a. Fill in the information for the first entry for as many of the fields as possible. Once you have filled in the information, click "Save & add another entry".
b. Repeat Step 2a as many times as needed to fill in the relevant Education/Training history.
In this section, you are expected to briefly describe why you (or the Faculty/PI for Delegates) are well-suited for your role(s) in this project. For further information about what to include, be sure to review the application guidelines specific to the funding opportunity. You will also be allowed to highlight up to four papers that demonstrate your experience and expertise.
Step 1.
a. Click "Edit statement" under the "A. Personal Statement" heading.
b. Input the text of the personal statement into the text box. You have the option to add some minor formatting changes like bold, italics, and headings. To learn more about these click the green question mark button in the bottom right or go to the Formatting tab of this guide. Once you are finished, click the green check mark to save.
Step 2.
a. You also have the option to include up to four peer-reviewed publications to highlight experience and qualifications. To do this click the "Select citations" button in the Personal Statement box.
b. This will bring up a list of all the publications in the associated NCBI "My Bibliography", enabling you to check the publications that you want to highlight.
c. Make sure the citations were saved and listed in the Personal Statement section. Then move to the next section.
In this section, you will detail employment, scientific appointments, and honors.
Step 1.
a. If you need to add an appointment or position, click the "add one" option under this heading.
If you imported the information, you can add additional entries by clicking "add another entry".
b. Fill in as many of the fields as possible for the entry, and then click "Save & add another entry".
c. Repeat step 1b as many times as needed.
Step 2.
a. Add any honors by clicking "add one" under the "Honors" heading.
b. Fill in as much information about the honor as possible, and then click "Save & add another entry".
c. Repeat step 2b as many times as needed, and then check to make sure all entries are present.
This section provides space for a researchers to highlight their most significant contributions to science. It is important to note that reviewers consider researcher seniority when evaluating scientific contributions. For each contribution, you can provide a description and up to four peer-reviewed publications that are relevant to the contribution.
Step 1.
a. Click "Edit section" under the "C. Contribution to Science" heading.
b. Click the "edit" button next to "Description". Provide a detailed description of the contribution in the text box. Click the green check mark once you have completed the description.
Step 2.
a. Click "Select citations". This will bring up the list of publications in the NCBI connected "My Bibliography". Select up to four citations using the blue check mark button to left of the publication. Once you have selected all the publications that you want to include, click "Save citations".
b. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for up to five contributions to science. They will appear as tabs as you add them.
Once you have completed all of the sections, you can export the biosketch to a PDF, Word, or XML format. You can do this by clicking on the of the formats at the top or bottom right of the biosketch page.
