From Vice Chancellor for Research Collard

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to share that the Office of Research has introduced a new research grant proposal intake process designed to provide a simpler, more consistent experience, with less back-and-forth and better visibility into proposal submissions. This new process is the result of close planning and partnership between our Proposals and Grants (OSR) staff, departmental administrators, and faculty researchers, and has proven simple and effective in pilot testing.

Starting this week, all federal or nonprofit research grant proposals, supplements, incoming subawards, and progress reports, including all proposed NIH submissions for the upcoming October deadlines, require the use of the new Smartsheet Proposal Notification Intake Form.

This 12-field form supports the new proposal intake process and provides OSR with the top-line data elements of your planned proposal (e.g., your name and department, funding opportunity and deadline, proposal title and elements) so they can triage your request to the proper team and analysts. The form also requests the attachment of a two-page Proposal Intake Form (PIF) with some additional checkbox questions to ensure OSR identifies and addresses all components of your proposal expeditiously.

Please note that this process preserves your working relationship with your pre-award staff. You can still reach out directly to get the help you need.

Over the next few months, we plan to further improve this process by combining the Smartsheet and PIF into a single electronic submission to reduce data entry redundancy and tailor the questions to the type of proposal being submitted. These changes are part of a broader institutional effort to improve our administrative processes and make it easier for researchers and their teams to advance their work. I will be communicating about these efforts more in the coming months.

I want to thank you in advance for working with my office to transition to this new grant submission process. We have prepared several resources on the OSR website to assist you and your departments if you encounter any issues. You can also contact OSR directly or attend their September 1 office hours to have your questions answered. 

Yours, 

Hal 

Harold R. Collard, MD, MS 

Vice Chancellor for Research 

Professor of Medicine and Health Policy

Apply for Intramural Seed Funding: RAP 2026 Fall Cycle! 

The Resource Allocation Program (RAP) will open its Fall 2026 funding cycle this Thursday, August 27, offering UCSF investigators access to a broad range of intramural research funding opportunities through a single program.

By bringing together funding from across UCSF, RAP provides critical seed support to help investigators launch promising new ideas, generate preliminary data, advance innovative research, and position their work for future funding and impact. In the Spring 2026 cycle alone, RAP awarded more than $2.6 million to investigators across UCSF. 

Applications are due Monday, September 28, at 2:00 p.m. PT. Please visit the RAP website to review the current funding opportunities, eligibility requirements, and application instructions before applying. 

Federal Research Updates

NIH Seeks Input on Changes to Peer Review Reporting

(NOT-OD-26-088) NIH is seeking public input on proposed changes to how peer review outcomes are reported, including replacing final overall impact scores and percentiles with broader categories. Researchers and other stakeholders can weigh in on how these changes could affect the clarity and usefulness of peer review results. Submit feedback by October 13.

NIH Replaces Letters of Support with Letters of Collaboration

(NOT-OD-26-094) Beginning with NIH Form J in NIH Fiscal Year 2027, NIH will replace Letters of Support with Letters of Collaboration to reduce administrative burden. Letters will be limited to documenting a collaborator's intent to participate or provide material support, must be 100 words or fewer, and may not include application endorsements. Applications that continue to include traditional Letters of Support after implementation may be returned without review. Learn more.

ATTN: Animal Researchers with DoW/DoD Funding

Research funded by the Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense) must now be maintained on a separate IACUC protocol from non-DoW-funded work. PIs should plan ahead for upcoming ACURO review deadlines. Learn more and contact IACUC with questions.

NIH Updates Data Management and Sharing Plan Requirements

(NOT-OD-26-100) Beginning in FY 2027, NIH will require all awards and applications subject to the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy to use the updated DMS Plan format, regardless of when the application was submitted. NIH will also eliminate the prior approval requirement for changes to approved DMS Plans; instead, recipients will report updates through the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) beginning October 1, 2026. Learn more about this notice and visit the UCSF Library’s DMS Plan page for the latest information.

From the UCSF Office of Ethics and Compliance: Research Security Reminder for Foreign Relationships and Restricted Parties

Federal research sponsors are increasingly adopting requirements that may restrict or prohibit certain collaborations, appointments, research support, and other relationships involving entities identified on U.S. government restricted or proscribed party lists.

Researchers must ensure that proposed and ongoing activities comply with applicable sponsor and institutional requirements and that required disclosures of foreign relationships, affiliations, appointments, research support, and collaborations are accurate, complete, and up to date. Learn more and contact ResearchSecurity@ucsf.edu with questions.

More from the Office of Sponsored Research

• NOT-OD-26-098: NIH is updating its Career Development (K) Award programs, including consolidating individual K funding opportunities and clarifying requirements for clinical trial activities, with changes applying to due dates on or after October 12, 2027.

• NOT-DA-26-014: Request for Information: Inviting Input on National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA's) Strategic Plan for 2027-2031. (Deadline: September 21)

• NOT-OD-26-095: Request for Information: NIH is seeking input on potential funding approaches to support the development of future clinical trial investigators, including approaches that would allow mentored K award recipients to serve as principal investigators of clinical trials. (Deadline: September 30)

• NOT-RM-26-004: Request for Information: NIH Common Fund is Soliciting Ideas for NIH-wide Challenges and Opportunities. (Deadline: September 19)

Take Action: Help Advance California’s Research Bond

SB 895, the California Science and Health Research Bond Act, has advanced to the Assembly floor! UCSF community members can help keep the momentum going by thanking lawmakers for their progress and urging passage of the strongest possible research bond.

From the Office of Research Units

Office of Clinical Trial Activation (OCTA)

Beginning September 1, OCTA and ICD will partner on a pilot expanding OCTA’s budget services to support eligible industry-sponsored studies that do not require Clinical Research Billing (CRB). Learn more about the pilot and what this means for you.

Human Research Protection Program (HRPP)

Submitting or modifying a study in Research Gateway IRB (ReGI)? Review tips to avoid common submission issues and delays.

Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

Looking to incorporate youth perspectives into your research? The YMCA-UCSF Youth Research Advisory Council connects research teams with trained youth and young adult community members who can provide input throughout the research process.

Campus Updates

New UCSF Video | Building BRAB

Get an inside look at the design and construction of the new Bakar Research and Academic Building (BRAB) at Parnassus Heights. Watch now »

UCSF Real Estate

Construction continues across Parnassus Heights, with progress on the new hospital, BRAB, and Parnassus Commons. Expect ongoing traffic, pedestrian and noise impacts. Read the summer construction update »

UCSF Innovation Ventures

UCSF and Chugai Pharmaceutical have launched a multi-year collaboration to accelerate drug discovery research, combining UCSF science with Chugai’s drug development technologies. Learn about the collaboration »

UCSF IT and Brand Identity

Digitally accessible UCSF templates are now available in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, making it easier to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations that meet accessibility standards. Available in the Microsoft 365 desktop apps and PowerPoint for the web for users signed in with a UCSF account. Learn more »

Recruit Your Next Postdoc!

The Office of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs invites faculty and principal investigators to advertise open positions on the centralized UCSF Postdoctoral Openings Job Board. Approved listings go live within two business days and remain posted for 60 days, with extensions available. Email postdocs@ucsf.edu with questions.