Policy Governing Principal Investigator Status

Definition of a Principal Investigator

A Principal Investigator has responsibility for the overall conduct of a sponsored project, including all technical, programmatic, financial, compliance and administrative aspects. The Principal Investigator is responsible for controlling the technical direction and academic quality of the project and ensures that a sponsored project is carried out in accordance with the terms, conditions, and policies of the Sponsor and the University.

Eligibility for Principal Investigator Status

Principal Investigator status is granted to all regular full time faculty members, including those with emeritus status, and those holding the designation Research Professor. Employees of the University who hold director-level administrative positions are also eligible to be Principal Investigators.

Postdoctoral fellows, lecturers, adjunct faculty, instructors and other professional staff may be eligible for Principal Investigator status in certain circumstances as described below.

Principal Investigator status will not be granted to Visiting Scholars or students.

Process for a Petition to Grant Principal Investigator Status

In certain circumstances, individuals who do not meet University eligibility requirements may be granted Principal Investigator status by the Vice Provost for Research based upon the applicant’s experience, skills, research interests, and project plans. The petition for Principal Investigator status must be specifically approved on a case-by-case basis.

The applicant’s review package must include:

• A letter of endorsement from a tenured faculty member
• A space utilization statement
• The applicant’s curriculum vitae
• The applicant’s research plans and the proposed sources for external support
• The approval of this package by the respective Chair/Head and the respective Dean, Director, or Vice President

The completed package should be sent to the attention of the Vice Provost for Research, Office of Research Compliance and Administration, 3201 Arch Street, Suite 100.