News & Updates: February 2, 2026
SR would like to share some important NIH updates with the community:
NIH Salary Cap Update FY2026
- NIH Common Form Leniency Period
- NIH Launches New Parent Notice to Support Structured International Research Collaborations
- NIH to Halt Funding for Research Using Fetal Tissue from Elective Abortions
NIH Salary Cap Update FY2026
The Office of Personnel Management released new salary levels for the Executive Pay Scale effective January 11, 2026. As a result of these changes the Federal Executive Level II (i.e., NIH salary cap) has increased to $228,000. On January 28, 2026, the National Institutes of Health released Guidance on Salary Limitation for Grants and Cooperative Agreements FY 2026 (NOT-OD-26-034).
Submitted Proposals and Active Awards
For submitted proposals and active awards budgeted at the previous cap, if adequate funds are available, and if the salary cap increase is consistent with the institutional base salary, grantees may rebudget funds to accommodate the current Executive Level II salary level as of January 11, 2026. However, no additional funds will be provided to these grant awards. Sponsored Research (SR) will not withdraw/resubmit proposals already submitted to adjust to the new cap; if awarded, the award budget can be rebudgeted to accommodate the higher cap.
Upcoming and In-Progress Proposals
CERES was updated over the weekend with the new salary cap, which will automatically populate new budgets going forward. Budget justifications should always note when a cap is being used.
- Proposals already routed for SR review should not be changed, including subk packages already received by departments. (Many of those organizations have already started using the new cap, and we have deferred to their policies while maintaining ours.) We will not return records for this reason.
- For proposals where SR has requested revisions the budget should only be changed if SR specifically requested budget corrections. Otherwise, budgets that have already been reviewed by SR will not be rechecked by SR and should not be changed.
- For proposals not yet routed to SR, budgets created before the CERES update will need to be manually updated if the department wishes to use the new cap. You can update a budget on a Funding Proposal (FP) that is in progress by entering the new salary cap on the General Budget Information page. Please note that you can only update the cap if the FP is editable.
NIH Common Form Leniency Period
Earlier this week NIH updated their FAQs stating that while the use of the Common Forms for Biographical Sketches and Other Support are required for application due dates and all JIT, RPPR, and Prior Approval submissions on or after January 25, 2026, NIH will allow for a period of leniency through May 2026. During the 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.
Sponsored Research still recommends the use of the Common Forms when able and when no technical issues remain.
NIH Launches New Parent Notice to Support Structured International Research Collaborations
NIH has released a new Parent Notice (PA26002) establishing a structured mechanism to support collaborative international research projects through paired domestic and foreign awards. Posted January 20, 2026, the notice creates a funding model in which a U.S. institution serves as the prime awardee, linked to one or more independent foreign subprojects. Each application must include at least one international component that offers unique scientific value - such as access to specialized expertise, populations, or resources not readily available in the United States. Foreign organizations cannot apply as the prime but may participate as funded subawardees.
This mechanism is not intended for routine foreign consulting, procurement, or unfunded partnerships. Projects must align with the scientific missions of participating NIH Institutes, Centers, or Offices, and applications will be evaluated holistically, including the added value of the international components. The opportunity remains open for applications through May 7, 2029.
NIH to Halt Funding for Research Using Fetal Tissue from Elective Abortions
NIH has issued a significant policy change (NOT-OD-26-028) that directly affects federally funded biomedical research: effective January 22, 2026, NIH funds may no longer be used for research involving human fetal tissue (HFT) obtained from elective abortions. This update reverses prior guidance and requires institutions to reassess compliance for any projects involving HFT.
Key Points for Research Administrators and Implications for Northwestern Investigators
- Projects currently using or proposing to use HFT from elective abortions will require immediate review and potential revision to remain compliant.
- The policy may also affect collaborations, procurement practices, and use of HFT-derived materials, depending on their source and classification
- RAs should work closely with PIs to:
- Identify affected grants and subawards
- Assess whether alternative materials or methods are needed
- Prepare for potential prior approval requests or project scope changes