Office of Pediatric Research Development
Empower. Catalyze. Strategize.
OPRD News and Events
SPONSOR UPDATES
NIH UPDATES
NIH implements SciENcv for Biographic Sketches and Current & Pending Support (Other Support) for all applications. Please see the Department's new webpage about SciENcv for helpful guides, resources, and to request technical assistance from OPRD.
Important NIH Update! From the Common Forms FAQ page:
After evaluating the number and types of recent technical inquiries we received to both the SciENcv and eRA Service Desks, we recognize the difficulties these issues have had on the community’s ability to comply with the original timeline of January 25, 2026.
To allow for a period of leniency, NIH will provide a warning when the Common Forms are not used but will not withdraw applications that don’t comply with the use of the Common Forms. We expect the leniency to be in place through May 2026. NIH will issue a Guide Notice announcing the date when the validation will be changed to an error and the requirement to use the Common Forms will be system-enforced.
During this transition period, although legacy formats are temporarily permitted, RMG strongly encourages investigators to adopt the Common Forms as soon as possible. If a PI elects to submit using legacy formats (or a mix), RMG will proceed with submission with a reminder that the transition window ends in May 2026.
Important NIH Notices:
- NOT-OD-26-046 Updated Elements of a Data Management & Sharing Plan: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Data Management and Sharing Policy requires applicants to submit a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) for any NIH-funded or conducted research that will generate scientific data. As part of its ongoing efforts to increase efficiency and minimize applicant burden, NIH is updating the required elements of a DMS Plan. Please see the notice to preview the new format.
- NOT-OD-26-034 Guidance on Salary Limitation for Grants and Cooperative Agreements FY 2026: The Office of Personnel Management recently released new salary levels for the Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 11, 2026, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $228,000.
Tackling Your K with Dr. Vinita Bharat
NIH K awards and career development grants are designed to launch exceptional investigators into independent research careers. However, submitting a K award can be overwhelming due to various challenges, including a complex application process, navigating pre-award requirements at Stanford, assembling an effective advisory team, and balancing research with grant writing.
To help address these challenges, the Office of Pediatric Research Development (OPRD) offers an annual grant writing training club called “Tackling Your K Club.” This club is open to all trainees, including instructors, clinical fellows, and postdocs from all 18 divisions in our department. Its primary goal is to support applicants in navigating NIH K series applications, including K08, K23, K99/R00, and K01.
Dates: March 11, 2026, to June 9, 2026
Format: Weekly meetings in a hybrid format. Register here!
Key Highlights of Tackling Your K Club:
Didactic Training: Participants receive comprehensive training on essential K application components, including career development plan, research strategies, and biosketches etc.
Peer-Review Feedback Sessions: Participants have a safe and supportive community to share their drafts and seek constructive feedback in a structured format.
Creative Storytelling using Design Thinking principles: Participants learn storytelling techniques using tools like Journey Mapping and the Future You canvas to craft compelling narratives that engage reviewers.
Meet Key Stakeholders: Participants will have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Mary Leonard, the Department Chair, to discuss their long-term goals and seek guidance individually.
1:1 Grantsmanship Support: Participants will get Individualized assistance with proposal development and submission with Dr. Vinita Bharat, Assistant Director of Science Communication and Research Development Training, OPRD
We take pride in having assisted many past K awardees through this club over past years and are eager to support more departmental learners as they develop their K applications to launch independent research careers. If you’re considering applying for a K award, please register for the club here and reach out to Dr. Vinita Bharat (vbharat@stanford.edu) for any further questions.
GENERAL UPDATES
MCHRI Seminar Series "Data Use, Decoded: Navigating Data Use Agreements at Stanford" Recording Now Available
This session highlights an overview of the university’s Data Use Agreement (DUA) submission, review, and approval process, including how DUAs align with IRB and other institutional compliance reviews. Click here to view the full recording. To see the full series, check out MCHRI's Seminar Series.
Reminder! New Letter of Support Process
If you require a letter of support, such as for a grant or fellowship, signed by the Chair, submit a draft letter to the LoS intake form found on our new webpage (Letters of Support), within our Researchers’ Toolkit. Please be sure to submit draft letters at least 4 weeks in advance of the due date to allow sufficient time for review, approval, and signature.
Please do not submit letters of support for signature via email. They will be returned with instructions to submit it to the LoS Intake Form.
For more information about this new process and to access important resources, please see the new Letter of Support webpage.
Guidelines for Pediatric Research Transition Funding Task Force Released
The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce the Research Transition Funding Task Force (Learn more, requires SUNetID). This Task Force will guide decision-making regarding short-term support needed for our faculty facing deficits in their research funding directly related to Federal Government actions since January 20, 2025.
Chaired by Drs Jennifer Woo Baidal and Anna Gloyn, the Task Force has developed a framework and process for making requests (Learn more, requires SUNetID). Our framework is informed by University (April 17, 2025) and School of Medicine (April 2025) policies and recommendations.
As a reminder, if you receive a termination notice or stop work order, immediately contact the Office of the Senior Associate Dean of Research (SADR)- Dr. Ruth O’Hara (ROH@stanford.edu) as well as your Research Process Manager (RPM) within RMG (find your RPM on this page). Additionally, please cc Dr. Mary Leonard, Drs. Jennifer Woo Baidal and Anna Gloyn, your Chief and your post-award research finance administrator. Dr. O’Hara will advise you on next steps.
UPCOMING EVENTS
RMG NIH NRSA Individual (F) Fellowships March Training Sessions:
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA)
F Series Individual Postdoctoral and Predoctoral Fellowships
Upcoming Training Sessions
During this course, the Fellowship Office will address all application updates as currently made available by NIH.
Research Management Group (RMG) offers virtual training modules for upcoming NIH, AHRQ, and NIOSH Individual (F) Fellowship Award deadline cycles. Please sign up for the training sessions via STARS as soon as possible.
Training Sessions:
Learn how to begin your ASSIST application and complete the administrative requirements for submitting a proposal in these virtual training sessions. Become familiar with required Stanford-specific internal documents (PDRF) and how to work with the Research Management Group (RMG) Fellowship Office.
Sign up for the session:
How do I register? Register via STARS. Search using the Search Catalog function by entering keyword "DOR-1218” or “fellowship”.
Available Upcoming Sessions:
03/11/2026: 10:00AM - 11:00AM
03/18/2026: 10:00AM - 11:00AM
03/26/2026: 10:00AM - 11:00AM
Location: web-based (zoom)
Questions?
Fill out a request for assistance and a member of our team will be in contact with you.
Federal Transition Resources and Updates
For the most current news regarding agency updates and policy guidance, please see Stanford's 2025 Federal Administration Transition Information & Resources page.
