In a 2025 executive order, the federal government announced expectations of Gold Standard Science (GSS) for all federally supported research. As federal agencies integrate GSS principles into the grants process, the PDS team recommends that investigators include clear statements in their proposals to any federal agency describing how their proposed work aligns with GSS.
Recent changes to federal agency policies regarding foreign collaboration and research security have sparked many questions from the UC Davis research community. In particular, the PDS team has been fielding questions regarding how these changes impact ongoing and proposed projects, as well as steps that investigators need to take to be compliant with the new guidance. Here, we share answers and resources to address the most frequent questions regarding foreign collaborations and research security.
In this Agency Update, you'll find information on:
Developing a strong grant proposal can take months of preparation. The UC Davis Proposal Development Services team recommends three to five months to develop a strong proposal. In the past year, however, funding opportunities with very short turnaround times – sometimes as little as 4 to 6 weeks! - have become the norm.
In early 2026, most federal agencies updated their certification for biographical sketches and current and pending support documents, requiring that investigators:
In early 2026, both National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced changes to the format and creation of their Data Management and Sharing Plans (DMS Plan). Here, we summarize how the changes will impact your proposal preparation and provide resources to help you prepare for the updated forms.
In 2026, disruptions in federal grant programs have led to an unusual convergence of early career proposal deadlines that were previously more staggered. In many cases proposal preparation time – the time between the release of funding opportunity announcements and proposal due dates – has also shortened.
While this environment presents challenges, it also creates an important opportunity: with thoughtful planning and early preparation, you can position yourself for success. Starting early and planning strategically is no longer just helpful, it is essential.
NIH is requiring personnel documents for all submissions due May 8 and after to be created using the Common Form in SciENcv (NOT-OD-26-079). This affects proposals, RPPRs and JIT submissions. Details of the changes can be found in the original notice (NOT-OD-26-018).
UPDATE: As of January 30, 2026 we are anticipating a partial federal government shutdown starting at midnight Friday Jan 30th. If it happens, this partial shutdown will impact only Dept of Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, Defense, Transportation, Homeland Security, State, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development.
Not impacted are NSF, NASA, NIST, NOAA, Dept of Commerce, DOE, and USDA. These agencies should continue operating as normal.
IMPORTANT: Federal requirements continue to evolve, so if you have any questions regarding whether you need a foreign justification please reach out to the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) at [email protected].
What is a foreign justification and why do I need one?
The National Science Foundation (NSF) uses two primary criteria to evaluate proposals: intellectual merit (how your work enhances your field) andbroader impacts (how your work benefits society).
NIH recently announced a plan to limit PIs to submitting no more than 6 grant applications per calendar year, including new, renewal, resubmission or revision applications. What does that mean for UC Davis investigators?
