What to include (practical guidance)
Treat CPOS as a complete disclosure record for resources and commitments that NIH says must be reported. Institution policies vary; always confirm with your sponsored programs office.
Include these categories
1) All proposals and active projects
Disclose all current and pending proposals/projects that NIH expects in CPOS, including support from domestic and foreign entities. Prepare a separate entry for each proposal/active project and for each reportable in-kind contribution.
2) Reportable consulting activities
Include consulting under the proposals / active projects section when any of these NIH triggers apply:
- The consulting activity requires you to perform research
- The consulting activity is not research, but is related to your research portfolio and could affect funding, time/effort commitments, or scientific integrity
- The consulting contract requires you to conceal or withhold financial or other ties to the entity
3) In-kind contributions
Report in-kind contributions that are $5,000+ and require a commitment of the individual’s time.
4) Foreign activities / appointments / employment
Include foreign appointments/employment/affiliations that imply commitment or support under NIH rules. If a foreign appointment and/or employment is reportable in CPOS, remember that supporting documentation (copies of contracts specific to those foreign appointments/employment arrangements) is not appended inside SciENcv. NIH says to attach that documentation separately in the relevant eRA JIT, RPPR, or Prior Approval module, with translations if the contract is not in English.
Usually exclude these categories
- Broadly available institutional core facilities or shared equipment
- Training awards
- Prizes
- Gifts
- Personal information such as home address, personal phone, personal email, marital status, hobbies, or similar non-research data
Admin intake template:
If you are converting legacy Other Support documents at scale, see: