June 3, 2026
NIH: International Co-Authors
If you have NIH funding and publications on related work involving international co-authors (already published or in preparation), you should be aware of recent NIH notices related to 鈥淔oreign Components鈥� and your obligation to report foreign components to NIH.
On 5/27/2026, NIH released : Reminder on Foreign Components, which includes a much greater focus on international co-authorship and reporting foreign co-authorship. On 6/1/2026, NIH posted further on what constitutes a foreign component, with specific examples related to co-authorship.
- NIH鈥檚 notice indicates that most instances of co-authorship represent a foreign component but recognizes that certain contributions are so minor that they do not constitute an actual collaboration. They also recognize that there may be instances where an NIH-funded researcher and a foreign researcher both independently work with the same domestic collaborator but only learn of this fact when a manuscript is prepared describing the work.
However, in all cases, NIH requires recipients to report foreign co-authorship to the funding Institute or Center as soon as they are aware of it to determine what steps, if any, need to be taken. PIs of awards with multiple senior investigators should ensure that all investigators are aware of these requirements.
NIH expects proper attribution of author affiliation associated with published work. When a researcher supported by an NIH grant at UW publishes a paper on that work after they move to a new institution, they should list the UW affiliation with a note indicating their current affiliation.
As stated in , NIH has increased its oversight of foreign collaborations. Award recipients are required to request prior approval from NIH before engaging in foreign collaborations, including instances when the collaborators receive no NIH funding. Progress reports should accurately acknowledge all foreign components, some of which may be reflected in co-authored papers.
Related Resources
- NIH: full definition of from the NIH Grants Policy Statement
- UW FAQ: Does work outside of the U.S. require prior approval?
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