New NIH FAQs on Foreign Components and Co-Authors – October 2026
As of September 29, 2026, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a document of .
Critically, “NIH notes that most foreign co-authorship represents a foreign component, and that if a foreign engagement is expected to result in co-authorship, the institution should seek prior approval” (per a recent ).
NIH also describes some instances that are not considered foreign components, such as “informal scientific conversations, one-way transfers of data or materials, peer review, conference participation,” and others.
All researchers currently funded by NIH or who are considering applying for NIH funding are strongly encouraged to review this new guidance.