Announcements & Trainings

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced that the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy will now apply to all articles accepted for publication on or after July 1, 2025.

Authors of any articles reporting NIH-funded research accepted on or after July 1, 2025 must deposit their manuscript upon acceptance, for immediate public availability on the date of publication, in the NIH public access repository, PubMed Central.

Any publications reporting NIH-funded research accepted for publication before July 1, 2025 are subject to the 2008 Public Access Policy. If your publication was accepted before July 1 2025, you will need to make your publication publicly available in PubMed Central one year after it is published to be compliant with the 2008 policy.

All NIH researchers should follow the new guidance to ensure they are in compliance in order to  not jeopardize their current or future funding opportunities. 

Atkins Library’s guide to the NIH Public Access Policy has been updated to reflect current information. Please reach out to your department’s liaison librarian or Beth Auten, Health and Human Services Librarian, with further questions.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is providing this correspondence to inform organizations, and Authorized Organizational Representatives, of a new annual certification requirement for Principal Investigators (PIs) and co-Principal Investigators (co-PIs) regarding Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs (MFTRP).

Starting on June 7, 2025, in accordance with the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) Chapter II.D.1.e(ii), all PIs or co-PIs named on an NSF award made on or after May 20, 2024, must certify annually in Research.gov that they are not party to a MFTRP. Individuals who are currently a party to a MFTRP are not eligible to serve as senior/key personnel on an NSF proposal or on any NSF award made on or after May 20, 2024. NSF is providing notification of this new requirement to impacted PIs and co-PIs.

What you need to know about completing the required MFTRP certification in Research.gov:

There is no organizational certification requirement, the certification requirement is for PIs and co-PIs.

Impacted PIs and co-PIs will be prompted to complete the MFTRP certification after signing into Research.gov using the Sign In link at the top of www.Research.gov.

PIs and co-PIs with more than one active award made on or after May 20, 2024, are only required to certify once, annually.

Once completed, PIs and co-PIs can view their MFTRP certification response under the Academic/Professional Information section of their profile.

NSF is working to expand the MFTRP annual certification requirement for all senior/key personnel roles at a future date. Additionally, NSF is working to provide organizations with access to the annual certifications.

Please see PAPPG Chapter II.D.1.d(ix) for information about Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) responsibilities regarding senior/key personnel MFTRP certifications.

Frequently Asked Questions and MFTRP contract examples will be available on the MFTRP section of the Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy website shortly.

If you have any questions about this requirement, please contact researchsecurity@nsf.gov for additional guidance. System-related questions should be directed to the NSF IT Service Desk at 1-800-381-1532 (7:00 AM – 9:00 PM ET; Monday – Friday except federal holidays) or to the Research.gov team rgov@nsf.gov.

Best regards, NSF Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy

UPDATE 6/2/25: On May 5, 2025, a new Executive Order was issued to strengthen oversight of high-risk life sciences research. This order directs federal agencies to develop a new policy within 120 days to oversee research involving pathogens or toxins that could pose threats to public health, safety, or national security. In response, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued Implementation Update: Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research, rescinding the proposed DURC/PEPP policy that was set to take effect on May 6, 2025.

UNC Charlotte Biosafety Program will continue requiring PIs working with microorganisms and/or biologically-derived toxins to complete the Self-Assessment to identify high-risk research, maintaining precautionary oversight regardless of funding source. UNC Charlotte is monitoring OSTP’s progress and will update campus procedures when the new federal guidance is released.

Posted 4/9/25: On May 6, 2025, the U.S.G. Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential (PEPP) will replace the previous DURC policies and the P3CO framework. This new policy establishes a unified framework for overseeing federally funded life sciences research involving biological agents and toxins that could pose risks to public health, agriculture, and national security. At UNC Charlotte, the USG DURC/PEPP Policy applies to all research, regardless of funding source that meets the criteria for DURC/PEPP research.

As part of this change, the UNC Charlotte Biosafety Program will require PIs working with microorganisms (virus, bacteria, fungi, and parasites) and/or biologically-derived toxins to complete a Self-Assessment to determine if their research falls within the Category 1 or Category 2 research. This assessment must be done before the proposal stage and throughout the research lifecycle.

Detailed information about this policy, including guidance for PIs, can be found on the Biosafety Program – DURC PEPP USG Policy website or contact the Biosafety Program 704-687-1825.