Skip to content

Office of Sponsored Projects

VP for Research

Main Navigation

NSF Releases Supplement 1 (NSF 26-200) and Supplement 2 (NSF 26-202) to PAPPG 24-1 

 

 

The National Science Foundation has released Supplement 1 (NSF 26-200), effective Dec 8, 2025, and Supplement 2 (NSF 26-202), effective Jan 22, 2026, to the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG 24-1) that introduce important clarifications and changes affecting proposal preparation, award management, reporting, and compliance for NSF-funded projects.

  • These updates apply to all NSF awards on or after their respective effective dates.
  • These policies govern how proposals are submitted and how awards must be managed.
  • Even small updates can affect allowability, documentation, and reporting.
  • Staying current helps avoid delays, compliance issues, or post-award corrections.

 

Highlights of the New NSF Policy Updates

NSF Update 1 - NSF 26-200 (Effective Dec. 8, 2025)

This supplement revises several sections of PAPPG 24-1 to reflect federal priorities and statutory requirements.

Major Changes
  • SBIR/STTR Project Pitch requirement formalized
    The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Project Pitch requirement, previously implemented through solicitations, is now codified within the PAPPG itself.
  • Updated terminology for Tribal organizations
    Terminology changed from "Tribal Nations" to "Indian Tribes" to more clearly encompass Native-owned lands.
  • Restrictions On Confucius Institutes
    NSF cannot fund institutions that maintain contracts with a Confucius Institute. (NOTE: The University of Utah does not contract with Confucius Institutes, in alignment with state directives and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.)
  • American Security Drone Act Implementation
    NSF funds may not be used after Dec. 22, 2025, to purchase or operate drones from certain covered foreign entities.
  • Expanded Data Management and Sharing requirements
    Data supporting NSF-funded publications must be publicly shared at the time of publication, with any exceptions justified in the Data Management & Sharing Plan.

NSF Update 2 - NSF 26-202 (Effective Jan. 22, 2026)

This notice supersedes relevant sections of PAPPG 24-1 and updates NSF's reporting and public access requirements.

Major Changes

Updates to the NSF Public Access Repository (NSF-PAR)

  • Removal of the 12-month embargo on all PDF publication types
  • Ability to upload Author Accepted Manuscripts (AAM) and Version of Record (VOR)
  • Publications now available in machine-readable XML format
  • PAR identifiers now function as Persistent Identifiers (PIDs), similar to DOIs

Updates to Research.gov Project Reports

  • Automatic population of PAR IDs as persistent links for journal articles, conference papers, datasets, and workshop reports
  • Automatic population of AAM and VOR metadata from NSF-PAR
  • Prohibition of direct dataset entry into Research.gov project reports
  Researchers and admins working on NSF proposals or managing NSF awards are strongly encouraged to review these updates to ensure full compliance with the latest requirements

 

Timeline of Key Policy Updates
Date
Notice/Update Title
Summary
Jan 22, 2024 PAPPG (NSF 24-1) NSF issues the revised Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG 24-1). This version applies to proposals submitted or due on/after May 20, 2024.
May 20, 2024 Foreign Financial Disclosure Report (FFDR)  NSF deploys a Foreign Financial Disclosure Report portal in Research.gov to support 24-1 post-award requirements, with the first reporting cycle (managed by the Research Security Office) opening July 1, 2024. 
Jun 30, 2025 Important Notice No. 149: Updates to NSF Research Security Policies

NSF issued Important Notice No. 149, effective Dec 2, 2025,  to strengthen research security and provide updates aligned with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and NSPM-33 (managed by the Research Security Office).

Key policy updates include:

  • NSF's right to conduct risk assessments
  • Requirement to maintain detailed supporting documentation for all senior/key personnel
  • Requirement for all proposers and senior/key personnel to complete research security training (that covers cybersecurity, international collaboration, foreign influence, disclosure rules, and conflicts of commitment).
Dec 8, 2025 Supplement 1 (NSF 26-200)  NSF issues Supplement 1 to PAPPG 24-1, effective for all awards and amendments issued on or after Dec 8, 2025.
Jan 22, 2026 Supplement 2 (NSF 26-202)  NSF issues a second Supplement 2 to PAPPG 24-1, effective for all awards and amendments issued on or after Jan 22, 2026.

 

Last Updated: 1/28/26