SciENcv for Biosketches Home

NCBI's Science Expert Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) is a research profile system required by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and recommended by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to prepare the biographical sketch component of funding applications. Researchers can use SciENcv to compile information on expertise, employment, education, and professional accomplishments to create biosketches for federal grant submissions and reporting. SciENcv also allows users to automatically pull data from outside sources like NCBI's My Bibliography and ORCID.

Some benefits of using SciENcv include:

• Eliminates the need to repeatedly enter biosketch information
• Reduces administrative burden associated with federal grant submission and reporting requirements
• Provides access to a researcher-claimed data repository with information on expertise, employment, education, and professional accomplishments
• Allow researchers to describe their scientific contributions in their own language

To access SciENcv, you must have a myNCBI account. See this guide on myNCBI for more information. This account can be linked to your NSF account. On the My NCBI main page, scroll down to find SciENcv at the bottom right. If you haven't used SciENcv before, it will be a small box that gives you a link to create a profile. If you've used it before, it will show links to biosketches you've created.

Resources, templates, and samples

SciENcv manual - general information about the tool

NSF proposals and award policies and procedures guide PAPPG - review biographic sketch instructions in chapter II.C.2.f

NIH Biosketch Instructions and Word Templates - NIH has provided instructions, blank format pages, and example biographical sketches for those choosing not to use the SciENcv tool.

Biosketch FAQ - for NIH applicants

CCTS grants library - sample grant applications from NIH, NSF and other funders for many grant mechanisms 

Video tutorials

SciENcv Tutorial - basic overview of the tool for any user

Biosketches for NSF - step by step video for writing a biosketch in SciENcv for NSF proposals

Current and Pending support for NSF - step by step instructional video for adding current and pending support to biosketches

Integrating with ORCID - instructions to connect ORCID with SciENcv

• Use SciENcv (required for NSF) or a template to write your biosketch
• Read example biosketches in your field and by established researchers to use as models
• The Biosketch is limited to 2-pages. You can save space by editing the number of author names visible and replace with et al. See this video for a tutorial 
• Customize the biosketch for each proposal to showcase your strengths and achievements that are most relevant to the proposal
• Have peers and mentors review the biosketch
• More tips for writing an effective biosketch 
• Tips for writing an NIH biosketch 

Any My NCBI account holder can assign one or more delegates for SciENcv, and/or the My Bibliography components of My NCBI. Delegates may view, edit, and create profiles for the account holder. 

Instructions for Account holders

To send a delegate request: 

1. Login to your My NCBI account
2. Select your username in the top-right corner of the screen to access the Account Settings page
3. Under “Delegates,” select “Add a delegate”
4. Enter your delegate’s email address and select OK.

To control what your delegate has access to: 

1. Login to your My NCBI account
2. Select your username in the top-right corner of the screen to access the Account Settings page
3. Go to the table in the delegates section to control delegates permissions.
4. Check the “My Bibliography” or "SciENcv" boxes to allow delegate  to view and make changes to your My Bibliography and Other Citations collections or SciENcv products respectively.

5. Note that the Public or Private settings on your My Bibliography or SciENcv have no effect on a delegate’s ability to view and make changes to these resources. To remove a delegate, select the red “X”. Should you wish to give a delegate access to only one resource, use the check-boxes.

Instructions for delegates

To accept a delegate request: 

1. Log in to your My NCBI account
2. Check your email for the delegate request. If you haven’t received the request email, be sure to check you spam folder – the email comes from myncbi@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3. Use the link in the delegate request email to accept and confirm the delegation

To access your delegator’s SciENcv: 

1. Login to your My NCBI account
2. If you have been granted access to your delegator’s My Bibliography and Other Citations collections, you will see those collections listed in your collections list:
3. If you have been granted access to your delegator’s SciENcv, you will be able to access it from your SciENcv portlet:

For general information on ORCID see the scholarly metrics guide.

Linking to ORCID alllows you to easily add your educational information, grant funding information, and relevant publications to individual biosketches in SciENcv. Follow these steps for ORCID integration

Click on create a new document in SciENcv

• Give the biosketch a name and choose a format
• In the "choose data source" section, click the link to link additional accounts
• This window will show what accounts are already linked. Click add account.

• Search for ORCID on the list and follow the instructions to link it to My NCBI. You will need to input your ORCID ID and password.
• Once linked, go back to the create a new document page and click "Create"
•  It will automatically pull from ORCID to populate your new biosketch. This may take a couple of minutes.
• For NIH Biosketches
  • Citations may be added to sections A (personal statement) and C (contributions to science)
  • click on show/hide citation link and select the relevant publications (4 is the NIH limit) and then click on "save citations." The citations will display beneath the narrative text in the section.
• For NSF Biosketches
  • Citations may be added to section C (products). 
  • Click on "select related products" and choose up to 5 items from your ORCID list to include.

Specific questions about SciENcv may be directed to the funding agencies help desk:

• NSF help desk - email rgov@nsf.gov or call 1-800-381-1532 (open M-F 7am - 9pm Eastern) 
• NIH help desk - email info@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

If you have questions related to author or publication metrics please contact Marla Hertz at mihertz@uab.edu