[Ored-listserv] Research Newsletter - August 6, 2025

[Office of Research and Economic Development]

[cid:5f55a586-512c-430b-8a81-b8ebe4cf7660]
Dear Colleagues,

I hope your summer is going well, and I look forward to seeing you in person at one or more of UC Merced’s fall semester welcome events.

In this issue, I encourage you to participate in ORED’s Post-Award Research Administration Services survey, ask for your help in sharing three key ORED recruitments through your networks, and draw your attention to two NIH policy updates regarding a new limit on application submissions and the use of AI in proposals.

Gillian


Post-Award Research Administration Services Survey Now Open

The Post-Award Research Administration Services Survey is now live. I invite you to invest approximately 10 minutes of your time sharing your experiences with post-award research administration at UC Merced.

Developed through a collaboration between the Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) leadership team and the VCR Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC), the survey aims to identify key areas for improvement and establish benchmarks to track progress. Responses are anonymous, and the survey will remain open through August 15.

You should have received a survey invitation by email on Monday, July 28. If you encounter any technical issues, please contact ored at ucmerced.edu<mailto:ored at ucmerced.edu> for assistance.


ORED Active Recruitments

ORED currently has three key positions under active recruitment. The job postings are linked below.  Please share with your networks.  They are also posted at the recruitment sites of the relevant national professional societies.

Executive Director for Sponsored Projects Office and Contracts and Grants Administration<https://careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psp/ucm/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=25&JobOpeningId=79560&PostingSeq=1>
Attending Veterinarian<https://careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psp/ucm/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=25&JobOpeningId=79654&PostingSeq=1>
Industry Alliance Specialist<https://apptracker.jobelephant.com/display.php?ad=6380383>


NIH Policy Updates: New Limits on Application Submissions and Use of AI in Proposals

NIH has issued new guidance (NOT-OD-25-132<https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-25-132.html>) that will directly affect how PIs prepare and submit proposals. These updates are intended to promote fairness and originality in the NIH review process.

New Limit: Six Applications Per Calendar Year
Beginning in calendar year 2026, each Principal Investigator (PI), including members of Multiple PI teams, will be limited to six NIH applications per year.


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This includes new, renewal, resubmission, and revision submissions.
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Training grants (T-series) and conference grants (R13) are excluded from this limit.

This policy is intended to reduce over-submission and ensure reviewers have sufficient time to fairly evaluate each proposal, while encouraging proposers to focus on their most competitive and impactful ideas.

Restrictions on Use of Generative AI in Applications
As of September 25, 2025, NIH will not accept grant applications that are substantially generated by artificial intelligence tools (such as large language models or generative writing platforms).


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NIH considers such submissions not original and therefore not compliant with application requirements.
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If substantial AI use is discovered after award, NIH may take corrective action, including disallowing costs, suspending the award, or referring the matter for further investigation.

Note: AI tools may still be used for editing or grammar assistance, but the core content of applications must be the proposer's original work.


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