NIH Checks Paperwork to Keep Research Honest and Boring
Published Date: 9/22/2026
Notice
Summary
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is asking for your thoughts on how they collect info to keep research honest and fair. This affects researchers and contractors who work with NIH, aiming to make sure everything stays clear and trustworthy. You’ve got until October 22, 2026, to share your comments—no cost changes, just a check-in to keep things running smoothly!
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Large Paperwork Time Burden on Researchers
NIH estimates the total annualized burden for these FCOI information collections is 680,473 hours, covering 137,371 respondents and 137,471 responses. NIH requests OMB approval for 3 years, says there are no monetary costs to respondents other than their time, and the notice includes specific burden components such as a 76,000-hour institutional review burden (2 hours on average to review 38,000 disclosures) and a 90,240-hour estimate for developing 1,128 management plans.
New Foreign FCOI Reporting Requirement
NIH is adding a requirement in the eRA Commons FCOI Module that grant and cooperative agreement respondents must identify foreign Financial Conflicts of Interest (FCOIs) and provide the type of foreign entity and the name of the foreign country. This change is described as an enhancement to 42 CFR part 50 subpart F and 45 CFR part 94 and NIH states the enhanced requirement is "insignificant on the part of respondents."
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-19155, Proposed Collection; 60-Day Comment Request; PHS Applications and Pre-Award Reporting Requirements (OD)
The NIH is updating how researchers submit their Public Health Service applications and reports before awards, starting May 25, 2026. This change aims to make data management clearer and easier, affecting anyone applying for NIH funding. They want your feedback by November 17, 2026, to help improve the process without adding extra hassle or costs.
2026-19156, Proposed Collection; 60-Day Comment Request; Post-Award Reporting Requirements Including Research Performance Progress Report (OD)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) wants your thoughts on updating how researchers report their progress after getting awards. This affects anyone who receives NIH funding and aims to make reporting clearer and less of a hassle. Comments are due by November 17, 2026, so don’t miss your chance to weigh in!
2026-18937, Proposed Collection; 60-Day Comment Request; NIH Intramural Reporting of Research Misconduct (IRRM) Web Form (Office of the Director/Office of Intramural Research)
The NIH is rolling out a new online form to make reporting research cheating easier and fairer. Anyone involved with NIH research can use this form to report problems like lying or copying, even anonymously. They want your feedback by November 16, 2026, to make sure the form works well without causing extra hassle.
2026-18877, Prospective Grant of an Exclusive Patent License: Development and Commercialization of Engineered Cell Therapies for the Treatment of HPV 16 E6-Expressing Cancers
The National Cancer Institute plans to give MedGene Therapeutics an exclusive license to develop and sell special engineered cell treatments for cancers caused by HPV 16 E6. This means MedGene will have the sole right to use these inventions, potentially speeding up new cancer therapies. If you want to comment or apply for a license, you must do so by September 30, 2026.
2026-18646, Draft NIH Biosafety Policy for Research Involving Biohazards
The NIH is updating its biosafety rules to keep research safe as science changes and grows. This new policy will replace old guidelines and affect anyone working with biohazards in NIH-funded research. They want your thoughts by October 19, 2026, to help shape these important safety updates without adding extra costs.
2026-18191, Submission for OMB Review; 30-Day Comment Request Data and Specimen Hub (DASH) (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is asking for public feedback on their Data and Specimen Hub (DASH), which helps researchers share important health data. This is a quick 30-day review to make sure the information collection is clear and useful. If you’re involved in health research or data sharing, your input by October 8, 2026, can help shape how DASH works without costing extra money or time.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-19302, Center for Scientific Review; Amended Notice of Meeting
The NIH’s Center for Scientific Review changed a meeting about community health from two days to just one day on October 21, 2026, keeping the same 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule. This affects researchers and staff involved in the review group, but the meeting remains closed to the public with no changes to funding or deadlines. It’s a quick update to keep things running smoothly!
Next: 2026-19304, Sunshine Act Meetings: Notice of Meeting Held with Less Than Seven Days' Advance Notice
The FDIC held a public meeting on September 17, 2026, with less than seven days' notice, discussing important rules about bank mergers and state bank parity. This quick heads-up affects banks, regulators, and the public by speeding up transparency while keeping everyone in the loop. No big money changes were announced, but the FDIC also officially ended a previous policy on supervisory recommendations.