diff --git a/api/requests/serializers.py b/api/requests/serializers.py
index 8ad450936c0..3723d8984e8 100644
--- a/api/requests/serializers.py
+++ b/api/requests/serializers.py
@@ -135,12 +135,12 @@ def to_internal_value(self, data):
         """
         Retrieves the id value from `RelationshipField` fields
         """
-        instituion_id = data.pop('institution', None)
+        institution_id = data.pop('institution', None)
         message_recipient_id = data.pop('message_recipient', None)
         data = super().to_internal_value(data)
 
-        if instituion_id:
-            data['institution'] = instituion_id
+        if institution_id:
+            data['institution'] = institution_id
 
         if message_recipient_id:
             data['message_recipient'] = message_recipient_id
diff --git a/api/users/serializers.py b/api/users/serializers.py
index a3bd4d1cdb4..2707a4141c0 100644
--- a/api/users/serializers.py
+++ b/api/users/serializers.py
@@ -716,10 +716,10 @@ def get_absolute_url(self, obj: UserMessage) -> str:
         )
 
     def to_internal_value(self, data):
-        instituion_id = data.pop('institution', None)
+        institution_id = data.pop('institution', None)
         data = super().to_internal_value(data)
-        if instituion_id:
-            data['institution'] = instituion_id
+        if institution_id:
+            data['institution'] = institution_id
         return data
 
     class Meta:
diff --git a/api/users/views.py b/api/users/views.py
index c9063b1235e..314969d0c4c 100644
--- a/api/users/views.py
+++ b/api/users/views.py
@@ -971,7 +971,7 @@ class UserMessageView(JSONAPIBaseView, generics.CreateAPIView):
         UserMessagePermissions,
     )
 
-    required_read_scopes = [CoreScopes.USERS_MESSAGE_READ_EMAIL]
+    required_read_scopes = [CoreScopes.NULL]
     required_write_scopes = [CoreScopes.USERS_MESSAGE_WRITE_EMAIL]
     parser_classes = (JSONAPIMultipleRelationshipsParser, JSONAPIMultipleRelationshipsParserForRegularJSON)
     throttle_classes = [BurstRateThrottle, SendEmailThrottle]
diff --git a/osf/migrations/0025_institutional_request_access_enabled_and_more.py b/osf/migrations/0025_contributor_is_curator_and_more.py
similarity index 84%
rename from osf/migrations/0025_institutional_request_access_enabled_and_more.py
rename to osf/migrations/0025_contributor_is_curator_and_more.py
index 0d72e062b99..d1ce4bd6432 100644
--- a/osf/migrations/0025_institutional_request_access_enabled_and_more.py
+++ b/osf/migrations/0025_contributor_is_curator_and_more.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Generated by Django 4.2.13 on 2025-01-09 19:19
+# Generated by Django 4.2.13 on 2025-01-16 20:36
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.db import migrations, models
@@ -14,16 +14,31 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
     ]
 
     operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='contributor',
+            name='is_curator',
+            field=models.BooleanField(default=False),
+        ),
         migrations.AddField(
             model_name='institution',
             name='institutional_request_access_enabled',
             field=models.BooleanField(default=False),
         ),
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='noderequest',
+            name='is_institutional_request',
+            field=models.BooleanField(default=False),
+        ),
         migrations.AddField(
             model_name='noderequest',
             name='requested_permissions',
             field=models.CharField(blank=True, choices=[('read', 'read'), ('write', 'write'), ('admin', 'admin')], help_text='The permissions being requested for the node (e.g., read, write, admin).', max_length=31, null=True),
         ),
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='preprintrequest',
+            name='is_institutional_request',
+            field=models.BooleanField(default=False),
+        ),
         migrations.AlterField(
             model_name='noderequest',
             name='request_type',
diff --git a/osf/migrations/0026_add_is_institutional_request_is_curator.py b/osf/migrations/0026_add_is_institutional_request_is_curator.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 51da69ada2c..00000000000
--- a/osf/migrations/0026_add_is_institutional_request_is_curator.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-# Generated by Django 4.2.13 on 2025-01-10 19:27
-
-from django.db import migrations, models
-
-
-class Migration(migrations.Migration):
-
-    dependencies = [
-        ('osf', '0025_institutional_request_access_enabled_and_more'),
-    ]
-
-    operations = [
-        migrations.AddField(
-            model_name='contributor',
-            name='is_curator',
-            field=models.BooleanField(default=False),
-        ),
-        migrations.AddField(
-            model_name='noderequest',
-            name='is_institutional_request',
-            field=models.BooleanField(default=False),
-        ),
-        migrations.AddField(
-            model_name='preprintrequest',
-            name='is_institutional_request',
-            field=models.BooleanField(default=False),
-        ),
-    ]