Updates, resources, and opportunities supporting research at Brown.
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RESEARCH NOTES
Essential updates and opportunities for the Brown research community
MAY 2026
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Brown’s National Labs Day spotlights collaboration in AI-enabled science
Top researchers from five Department of Energy National Labs met with Brown faculty, staff and students to discuss the future of AI-enabled scientific research and identify emerging opportunities for future scientific partnerships.
Read the story.
MESSAGE FROM THE VPR
Greetings,
The Division of Research and the School of Engineering had the distinct pleasure of hosting our second National Labs Day last week, with coast-to-coast representation from Brookhaven National Lab in New York to Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California. Over 150 Brown faculty, students, and postdocs joined us for presentations on AI-enabled research and a dynamic poster session. (See 'In the Spotlight' article.) National Labs remain vital collaborators for Brown; our inaugural event in 2024 successfully paved the way for a formal Brown-BNL MOU, and we are eager to see the new joint projects this year's event will spark.
In other news, we are shifting our annual Celebration of Research to the fall semester. Typically held in May to recognize the winners of the Research Achievement Awards and Salomon and Seed funding competitions, moving the event to the start of the academic year allows us to better align the research celebration with announcements of new internal funding opportunities. More details will follow over the summer.
Finally, mark your calendars for June 8 for AI + Environment, the second session in our AI+X Networking Series and our final gathering before the summer break. This session is designed for investigators interested in research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and natural, digital, evolved, or designed environments. We welcome investigators from both Brown and our health system affiliates.
We hope to see you there!
Cheers,
Greg Hirth
Vice President for Research
DIVISION OF RESEARCH TEAMS
Calling all graduate students and postdocs!
Brown Innovation Fellows is a paid internship program within Brown Technology Innovations (BTI) for graduate students and postdocs interested in technology commercialization. We are looking for new Fellows to add to the program representing diverse areas of expertise.
Application deadline: Friday, June 12, 2026
Learn more about Innovation Fellows and apply
RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Brown Research Suite registration guidance
To access the Brown Research Suite, log in via your organization. Brown University users have automatic access; others must register first. Follow the Accessing Huron IRB instructions for guidance. For technical support, please submit a Brown Research Suite support ticket.
Connect with Brown Research on LinkedIn
Want the latest breakthroughs and funding updates delivered to your professional feed? Engage with our research community, discover collaboration and funding opportunities, and celebrate the achievements of Brown researchers.
A Record-Breaking Debut: Brown for Science Diplomacy
Two newly minted Ph.D.s are bridging the critical gap between the lab and the community, turning scientific exploration into social impact through a student-led organization that has quickly risen to University and national acclaim. Read the article by DOR intern Lucy Kaplan.
RESEARCH INTEGRITY
Use of Prolific requires institutional approval
Brown researchers proposing to use Prolific to recruit study participants must receive institutional approval from Brown before using the service. This is due to Prolific requiring researchers, who sign on to its services, to represent that they have formal university authorization. To request Prolific approval, contact Jules Blyth in the Division of Research/Research Integrity.
Updated Authorship Guidelines
Brown has updated its Authorship Guidelines to include new guidance on how to appropriately cite one’s institutional affiliation(s), and acknowledge funding support. Due to the US government’s increased scrutiny of publications, accurate representation of funding support, affiliation(s), and contribution(s) is critical. Any questions related to authorship should be directed to ori-admin@brown.edu.
NIH research security training deadline
Beginning May 25, 2026, investigators on NIH funded proposals will need to complete Research Security Matters, Brown's research security training, in Workday Learning prior to proposal submission. Email ResearchSecurity@Brown.edu with any questions.
New Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) formats
Both the NIH and NSF have launched updated templates and tools to streamline the creation of Data Management and Sharing Plans:
NIH: A new DMSP template is required for all awards with due dates on or after May 25, 2026. It is already available for use in all competing and non-competing awards. Detailed guidance is available via the University Library's NIH Public Access Policy page.
NSF: Investigators can now use a new form template directly within Research.gov (rolled out April 27, 2026). Detailed guidance is available via the University Library's NSF Public Access Policy page.
The guidance within the DMPTool has been updated for both NSF and NIH 2026 formats.
RESEARCH STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT
New date: AI + Environment Networking Mixer 6/8/26
Registration is open for Session 2 of the AI + X Networking Series, focusing on AI + Environment for investigators interested in research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and natural, digital, evolved, or designed environments. Open to Brown University and health system affiliates, this mixer highlights upcoming seed funding opportunities and builds collaborative contacts.
Monday, June 8, 2026 • 3 - 5 PM
Rolling admission closes May 27
Register for AI + Environment Networking Mixer
NIH domestic subrecipient prior approval requirement effective 6/1/26
Effective June 1, 2026, NIH requires prior approval before adding a *domestic* subrecipient that was not originally proposed (Notice Number NOT-OD-26-062). Departments/PIs should use the Award Modification Request action to request Sponsored Projects review and submission of subaward prior approval requests.
Updated summer salary costing allocation worksheet
Faculty summer salary is defined as the period outside of the academic year. When processing a costing allocation in Workday, please complete and attach the Summer Salary Costing Allocation Template.
New guidance for NIH PF5 mechanism
OSP has launched a new guidance page for the NIH's PF5 mechanism, a funding opportunity that allows proposals to include international collaborators, replacing the previous foreign subaward procedure. Visit Guidance for NIH PF5 Mechanism to review this proposal structure, required content, and important information for our international collaborators.
Updated subaward Letter of Intent available
Our standard Letter of Intent template has been updated to include certifications related to proposal requirements, ensuring subrecipients comply with the new NIH Research Security Training requirements effective May 25th. Please use the new Subrecipient Letter of Intent document for all NIH subawards going forward.
NIH
Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program RPPR certification clarification
NIH has released a new FAQ indicating that if a senior/key person is submitting a Biosketch or Current and Pending as part of an RPPR, that individual does not need to upload a separate MFTRP Certification Statement.
Reminder: Link ORCID ID to eRA Commons Account
With the recent requirement for SciENcv Biosketch and Other Support forms, a reminder that all Investigators on NIH proposals must manually link their ORCID iD to their eRA Commons Account. Proposals will receive error messages if they are not linked.
Update of NIH Late Application Submission Policy and end of Continuous Submission
On March 31st, NIH announced that it was ending its Continuous Submission grace period and updating the Late Application Submission policy (Notice Number NOT-OD-26-064).
Other Federal & Agency Updates
NASA: A Focus on Special Restrictions
Workshop held Wednesday, June 3, 2026 • 12 - 1PM
Lincoln Field, Room 120
DOR QUICK LINKS
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