Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Research Administration Unit do?

The Research Administration Unit (RAU) is responsible for providing comprehensive pre- and post-award support for the Cancer Center Support Grant, P30CA016042, which supports the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCLA Health JCCC). Additionally, we offer extensive pre-award support for administrative supplements and team-science grants. Beyond proposal development, the RAU manages several key processes including UCLA Health JCCC's membership, the UCLA Health JCCC Intramural Awards Program, Effort Reporting, and Investigator Publication Review. We also assist with reviewing and updating NIH Biosketches and NIH Current and Pending (Other) Support documents. 

For questions about our services or to request support from our team, please contact Amanda Tan via email.

What pre-award services are offered?

The RAU offers pre-award support for NIH supplements under our P30 grant (P30CA016042), as well as cancer-relevant team science grants. We also offer support for smaller NIH grants including R grants and foundation grants as capacity allows. Our services are custom-tailored to meet your needs as a Principal Investigator, ensuring the development of a strong application. Please visit Grant Development Resources for more information.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

Please visit our Contact Us page for more information.

What are the Common Forms?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is adopting the Biographical Sketch Common Form and the Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form for applications and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs) submitted on or after May 2026. These Common Forms represent a collaborative effort between Federal research agencies to ensure standard disclosure requirements across agencies, and to provide clarity regarding disclosure requirements. 

For more information, please visit the NIH's Common Forms webpage.

What is the Biosketch Common Form/Biosketch Supplement Common Form, and who needs one?

A Biographical Sketch (also referred to as biosketch) Common Form is a document prepared in SciENcv that describes an individual's qualifications and experience for a specific role in a project. NIH requires submission of a biosketch and biosketch supplement for each proposed senior/key personnel and other significant contributor on a grant application, and for any new senior/key personnel on progress reports. Some funding opportunities or programs may also require this form for additional personnel. Important: Both the biosketch common form and the biosketch supplement common form are completed through a single interface in SciENcv; they are not separate documents.

For instruction and the latest information, please visit the NIH Biosketch Common Form and Biosketch Supplement Common Form webpages.

What is SciENcv and do I need to use it to create my biosketch and current and pending (other) support?

SciENcv is a feature in My NCBI that helps researchers assemble the professional information needed for federally funded research. It allows users to compile and present information about their expertise, employment, education, and scientific accomplishments. Researchers can use SciENcv to create and maintain biosketches that are submitted with grant applications and annual reports. Researchers can create and maintain multiple biosketches and can opt to allow them for public viewing.

eRA Commons and ORCID account holders who have linked their accounts to My NCBI can have their SciENcv profiles automatically populated with the information stored in their biographical records.Important: You will be required to enter your ORCID ID in the Persistent Identifier (PI) section of the Common Forms in order to certify them. Your ORCID ID must be linked to your eRA Commons account. Please refer to this eRA page for instructions how to link your ORCID and eRA accounts. 

SciENcv is required to prepare the new Common Forms (Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support) for NIH applications, with mandatory, system-enforced compliance expected in May 2026 

See the Common Forms FAQ webpage for more information. 

Helpful Tip: The UCLA Office of Contracts and Grants Administration (OCGA) has fantastic resources regarding ORCIDs and the Common Forms. See the OCGA Other Support webpage for more information. 

How do I list the UCLA Health JCCC CCSG (P30CA016042) on my Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form?

You should list the UCLA Health JCCC CCSG only if you are designated as senior/key personnel on the grant.

Below is an example of how to enter the CCSG Renewal in your Other Support common form:

• Proposal/Active Project Title: Cancer Center Support Grant
• Status of Support: Current
• Current Proposal/Award Number: P30CA016042
• Source of Support: NIH-NCI National Cancer Institute
• Primary Place of Performance: University of California, Los Angeles
• Proposal/Active Project Start Date: (MM/YYYY): 04/2025
• Proposal/Active Project End Date: (MM/YYYY): 03/2030
• Total Anticipated Proposal/Project Amount: (Only list the total costs of the components that you are associated with.)
• Overall Objective: This grant is to support Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, a designated NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer in accordance with the NCI Guidelines. (You can add a statement here outlining your specific role within the Cancer Center)

For additional questions regarding how to add the P30 or verifying effort and total costs, please contact Genevieve Ortega-Alves via email.

How do I list a seed grant on my Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form?

Below is an example of how to enter the Seed grant in your Other Support common form:

• Proposal/Active Project Title: Seed Grant Title 
• Status of Support: Current
• Current Proposal/Award Number: Use the assigned project number when awarded, if you are unsure of your project number please contact Genevieve Ortega-Alves.
• Source of Support: UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Intramural Awards Program – Seed Grant
• Primary Place of Performance: UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Overall Objective: Provide a brief summary of the goals of your seed grant.

Are there resources available to help me with my NIH Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form?

NIH Resources:

• NIH Current and Pending (Other) Support
• NIH Current and Pending (Other) Support FAQ

UCLA Resources:

• UCLA Research Administration – Current and Pending Other Support

What is Effort Reporting?

Effort reporting is the method of certifying to granting agencies that the effort required as a condition of the award has actually been completed. Federal regulations require that any individual committing effort on a federal or federal flow-through contract or grant certify that the salary charged or cost shared by the institution is reasonable in relation to the effort expended on that project.

Effort is the proportion of time spent on any single professional activity and is reflected as a percentage of the total professional activity for which an individual is employed by an institution. Total professional activity at UCLA includes teaching, clinical practice, research, preparing proposals, administrative responsibilities or any other duties performed for UCLA.

Who do I contact regarding Effort Reports?

Please contact Sarah Anwar Tar via email if you have any questions.

For more information on effort reports, please visit the UCLA Research Administration Extramural Fund Management FAQ webpage. 

When is the next Seed Grant deadline?

The Seed Grant program accepts applications twice a year, with deadlines falling in the spring and the fall. The official deadline will be announced approximately two months before the deadline.

How do I apply for a Seed Grant?

Apply here: UCLA Health JCCC Intramural Awards Program Funding Portal (InfoReady)

What is the criteria to apply for a collaborative Seed Grant?

You may only apply for a collaborative seed grant if the collaboration is between two PIs who have no history of collaboration, this includes collaborative publications.

Who is eligible to apply?

UCLA faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor are eligible to apply. Additionally, Clinical Instructors may also apply if they can clearly demonstrate independence in leading their proposed research project. Clinical Instructors are required to provide a letter of support from a mentor to affirm the applicant’s independence and role in directing the work.

Can Seed Grant funds be used for faculty salary support?

No, salary support is not an allowable expense. If an application is submitted with salary support, it will be returned to the applicant for budget revisions.

Can I submit more than one application in a single cycle?

Yes, but if both applications score competitively then only the top scoring application will be reviewed. For example, if you are the primary PI on a proposal and the Co-PI on another proposal and both score competitively, only the top scoring application will be discussed and considered for funding.

Will I receive feedback on my application?

Applications submitted to the UCLA Health JCCC Seed Grant Program will always receive feedback regardless of the funding decision at the end of each cycle. However, due to the nature of the review process, the other funding programs do not guarantee feedback at the end of the funding cycle.

Can I request a no-cost-extension?

UCLA Health JCCC Seed Grants are limited to one year of funding, it is expected that recipients will fully expend all funds within that time frame. A single one-year No-Cost Extension (NCE) will be considered, though it is not guaranteed, upon written request to the Chief Administrative Officer of the JCCC, Melissa Neligan via email, (note that a second NCE will not be granted). The request must be formally submitted at least 60 days prior to the award’s end date and must include the following: 

1. A brief description of project progress to date and an explanation of why the funds could not be fully utilized within the original 12-month award period
2. A clear plan for utilizing the remaining funds within the proposed extension period.

The UCLA Health JCCC is committed to investing donor and grant funds effectively and efficiently and therefore, a single NCE may be granted solely in cases of unforeseen circumstances. To assist in planning, the UCLA Health JCCC will send friendly reminder notifications at 90, 60, and 30 days before your project’s end date. These reminders will help ensure ample time to assess project needs and submit any extension requests, if necessary. If you have any questions, you may also contact the UCLA Health JCCC Intramural Awards team via email. 

How do I list a seed grant on my Current and Pending (Other) Support?

Please see the Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support section above for an example on how to add your seed grant to your Current and Pending (Other) Support.

Do I need to provide a scientific/financial progress report?

Yes, sixty (60) days after the project end date you are required to submit a detailed scientific progress report and a final financial summary. The UCLA Health JCCC Intramural Awards team will contact you about these progress report assignments via an automated InfoReady email thirty (30) days before the award end date.

Why am I receiving yearly requests to submit Return-on-Investment data?

The UCLA Health JCCC is required to report to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) on an annual basis the return-on-investment (ROI) on all intramural grants awarded. Therefore, the UCLA Health JCCC will reach out to you once annually for up to five-years to collect information on grants, publications, and/or other notable achievements resulting from your award.

Where can I find External Funding Opportunities?

Please visit our External Funding Opportunities page.  

What are Limited Submission Opportunities (LSOs)?

Limited Submission Opportunities (LSOs) are cancer-relevant funding opportunities in which UCLA is invited to submit a selected nominee for the full application. Pre-applications are compiled by the UCLA Health JCCC and run through an internal review process. For more information, please see the Limited Submission Opportunities FAQ below.

What funding opportunities are distributed through the UCLA Health JCCC?

The UCLA Health JCCC sends out cancer-relevant funding opportunities as well as cancer-relevant Limited Submission Opportunities (LSOs) to members via email. Depending on the research topic, UCLA Health JCCC leadership may sometimes reach out to specific members to assess interest in applying. 

How can I apply to NIH Supplements that fall under the UCLA Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG)?

Announcements for NIH Supplements under the CCSG are typically sent via email to members as Limited Submission Opportunities and will go through an internal selection process before a nominee is selected to move forward with submitting the full application. Depending on the research topic, UCLA Health JCCC leadership may instead reach out to specific members to assess interest in applying. 

In either case, proposal development for NIH Supplements under the CCSG are always supported by the UCLA Health JCCC Research Administration Unit. 

Who Do I Notify If I Just Received a New Cancer Relevant Grant?

Please notify the following individuals: 

Denise Heady 
Science Communications and Media Relations Manager 
Email Denise

Amanda Tan
Director of Research Administration, Operations, and Strategy 
Email Amanda

Melissa Neligan
UCLA Health JCCC, Chief Administrative Officer 
Email Melissa

Dr. Michael Teitell
Director, UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Email Dr. Teitell

What are LSOs and who manages them at UCLA?

LSOs are Limited Submission Opportunities in which an institution is invited to submit a selected nominee for the full application. The UCLA Health JCCC manages all LSOs that are cancer-relevant for UCLA. Our review committee then chooses the strongest application to move forward with the full application. 

For more information, please visit our online funding portal, InfoReady. Here, you can find detailed information about available cancer-relevant LSOs and explore the home page for more opportunities. If you have any questions about specific LSOs or NIH Administrative Supplements (under UCLA Health JCCC’s Support Grant, P30CA016042), please contact Sarah Anwar Tar via email.

InfoReady Portal

All non-cancer LSOs are managed by the central LSO office. Please visit the UCLA Research Enhancement Office's LSO Webpage for more information.

What is the review and selection process?

Interested applicants must apply for cancer-relevant LSOs through the InfoReady Portal. Materials are sent to a review committee for review and selection of a nominee. Typically, the materials needed are up-to-date biosketches of all involved PIs and a one-page research summary.

How can I be notified?

The UCLA Health JCCC sends out cancer-relevant LSOs to all of our members via email. 

Are CCSG Supplements LSOs?

Most of the UCLA Health JCCC Support Grant supplements go through an LSO selection process. Applicants should apply via the InfoReady Portal. Announcements for NIH Supplements under the UCLA Health JCCC CCSG are typically sent via email to members as Limited Submission Opportunities and will go through an internal selection process before a nominee is selected to move forward with submitting the full application. Depending on the research topic, JCCC leadership may instead reach out to specific members to assess interest in applying. 

In either case, proposal development for NIH Supplements under the CCSG are always supported by the UCLA Health JCCC Research Administration Unit. 

Can I receive feedback for my LSO Application?

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the review session we cannot provide feedback.

How can I apply?

Please review membership guidelines and application. Applications are received year-round. Turnaround time typically ranges from one to four weeks. For more information, please visit Become a Member.

Can everyone become a member?

Any UCLA faculty or Caltech affiliate with cancer-focused research is welcome to apply. If your primary appointment is outside of UCLA or Caltech, unfortunately the UCLA Health JCCC cannot approve membership.

How can I update my member profile?

For specific UCLA Health JCCC member profile updates please contact Sarah Anwar Tar via email.

Please note that UCLA Provider Profiles are separate from UCLA Health JCCC profiles and need to be updated through UCLA Health. 

For more information on how to update your member profiles, please visit How to Update Your Member Profile.

What is IPR?

Investigator Publication Review (IPR) allows UCLA Health JCCC members to self-identify the use of any UCLA Health JCCC Shared Resources for their publications without the need to log into a website.  Investigators are automatically notified once a year in the summer via email to accept or reject publications using a secure link, and their response window is usually open for 4-6 weeks. We rely on these responses for reassurance on authorship and for information on shared resource metrics related to publications.

For additional questions, please contact William Osorio via email.

How do I obtain a PMCID number?

PubMed Central (PMC) ID numbers are required per the NIH Public Access Policy for all publications that have resulted from the use of UCLA Health JCCC Shared Resources or from UCLA Health JCCC Intramural Awards funded through the UCLA Health JCCC Support Grant, P30CA016042. PMCID’s are assigned when Final Approval is obtained in the NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) system, and when the article has been matched to a PubMed record for final publication date. See the following resources for more information. 

• NIHMS System Overview
• NIHMS Tutorial

What is an ORCID and who needs one?

An ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a free, 16-digit identifier that researchers can use to permanently connect their names to their work. At this time, ORCIDs are required for researchers receiving funding from the NIH, CDC, or AHRQ, as well as for authors publishing in many journals, to ensure accurate attribution and manage professional records.

Please note that the NIH requires the new Common Form for biographical sketches, with ORCID linkage, as announced in NOT-OD-26-018. All senior/key personnel must enter their ORCID ID in the Persistent Identifier (PID) section of the Common Forms. Users must link their ORCID iD to their SciENcv account to prepare compliant documents.

Helpful Tip: The UCLA Office of Contracts and Grants Administration (OCGA) has fantastic resources regarding ORCIDs and the Common Forms. See the OCGA Other Support webpage for more information. 

For additional information, visit the UCLA Library Guide on ORCIDs webpage and the ORCID website. 

How do I register for a new ORCID?

Register for a new ORCID by visiting the ORCID Registration Webpage.  

What is eRA Commons and who needs an eRA Commons ID/Username?

The eRA Commons website is an online interface where grant applicants, recipients, and federal staff at NIH and grantor agencies can access and share administrative information relating to research grants. The functions available to a user in Commons are based on the ‘role’ associated with their eRA Commons account. 

All Senior/Key Personnel and Other Significant Contributors listed on an NIH application are required to have active eRA Commons IDs. In addition, all project director/principal investigators (PD/PIs) and personnel with the Undergraduate, Graduate Student, or Postdoctoral roles who participate on an award for at least one person month require eRA Commons IDs for progress reporting. Trainees appointed to institutional training grants also require eRA Commons IDs. Lastly, any administrative officials involved in grant application preparation, review, and approval require eRA Commons IDs.

How do I request a new eRA Commons Account at UCLA?

Email OCGA eRA Help via email and provide the following information:

• First Name
• Middle Name/Initial (if applicable)
• Last Name
• E-mail address: (NOTE: this email is used for account information retrieval. For scientific roles, NIH recommends using an email address that the user will have continuous access to, regardless of institutional affiliation, such as a personal Gmail account.)
• Other organizations/institutions that you’ve been affiliated with as a PI, post-doc, graduate student, undergrad, trainee.
• Review the NIH Commons roles and indicate the role(s) needed.

My existing eRA Commons Account is associated with a previous institution. How do I change the affiliation to UCLA?

To have your current eRA Commons account affiliated with UCLA, email OCGA eRA Help via email and provide your eRA Commons user ID.

Are there resources available to help me link my ORCID and eRA Commons accounts?

• Linking Your ORCID iD to Your eRA Commons Account