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National Science Foundation: Mandatory Use of Multifactor Authentication (MFA) for Research.gov Effective October 27th

Dear Colleagues:

The U.S. National Science Foundation issued Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 25-011) to notify the research community about the mandatory use of multifactor authentication (MFA) for Research.gov sign-in effective on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024.

On October 27, all external users must first complete a one-time MFA enrollment process and use the selected MFA method to sign into Research.gov. The MFA options for each user depend on their assigned role in Research.gov. Users with financial or administrative roles must use a phishing-resistant MFA method. Other users can select a phishing-resistant or regular MFA method; however, NSF strongly recommends that all users choose a phishing-resistant MFA. All Research.gov users must set up a primary MFA sign-in method to access Research.gov. NSF urges users to also set up a secondary MFA method in case their primary MFA method is unavailable (e.g., user does not have their mobile phone with them). Users will be required to use MFA each time they sign into Research.gov.

Training Resources: 

Training resources including how-to guides and frequently asked questions (FAQs) will be available on the new About Signing Into Research.gov page on Research.gov Help on October 27, 2024. This new page will assist the research community to quickly enroll in MFA and learn how to sign into Research.gov with the selected MFA method.