Research Administration

Digitally Signing a PDF

In the age of digital communication, Adobe Acrobat provides us the opportunity to sign documents electronically and have it be as secure and final as signing paper with ink. Once a document is signed with your digital certificate, it cannot be changed without invalidating the signature.

NIH requires an electronic signature on all Other Support submissions beginning on January 25, 2022. All principal investigators and other senior/key personnel must electronically sign the Other Support form, prior to its submission to NIH, certifying that the information is accurate and complete.

UTMB OSP will only accept electronic signatures with a digital certificate and recommends using Adobe to capture these electronic signatures (please see link below).   Applicants and recipients (department/PI) must maintain supporting documentation to reasonably authenticate that the appropriate individual signed the form. Recipients must make the documentation available upon request in accordance with 45 CFR Part 75.364. OSP will submit the Other Support documents as a flattened PDF, after all signatures are obtained.

Insert Your Signature in a PDF

Use Acrobat Reader to sign PDF documents.

If the document is a preset PDF form with an existing signature block, simply click in the signature block and it will select your designated signature you've previously setup.

If the document does not contain a signature block, follow these steps to create a signature block and add your signature to the document.

1. Open the PDF in Reader and scroll to where you want to insert a signature block.
   
2. Select TOOLS (you'll find it in the upper left corner) to open the Tools Menu.
   
   
   
   
3. From the Tools Menu, select CERTIFICATES. This will close the Tools Menu and open the Certificates Toolbar. 
   
   
   
4. Select DIGITALLY SIGN. A box will open prompting you to use your mouse and draw a box in the area you want the signature box.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Select OK and the dialog box closes and your mouse pointer becomes crosshairs. Place the pointer as crosshairs where you want the upper left corner of the box to be. Click and drag down to the right to draw the box.
   
   
   
   
6. This is the signature box. At this point, your document is ready to insert your signature as if the signature box was already there. Click in the box and you will be prompted to insert your signature.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. For the signature to be applied, you must save the signed document, either with the existing file name or as a new file name.