Principal Investigator Eligibility

Definition

A principal investigator or co-principal investigator is an individual designated by the University to submit proposals to external sponsors. She/he is responsible and accountable to the University and Sponsor for the proper programmatic, scientific, or technical conduct of the project and its financial management.

Policy

1. Any individual who holds one of the following positions can be identified as PI or Co-PI:
   • Tenure-track faculty (Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor)
   • Nontenure-track research faculty (Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor)
   • Clinical faculty (Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor)
   • Adjunct faculty
   • Faculty Affiliate
   • Professor Emeritus
   • Lecturer
2. Postdoctoral fellows and graduate students may not serve as PIs or Co-PIs unless she/he is approved by her/his mentor, appropriate Department Chair  and the Vice President for Research
3. All proposal applications for external sponsorship must indicate the approval of the appropriate department chair and dean, indicating the availability of resources necessary to carry out the project.
4. RFUMS requires at least 1% Full Time Equivalent (FTE) commitment (or the minimum required by the program if greater than 1%) on the part of the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator during the period of the project. RFUMS expects that the associated salary is requested and funded by the sponsor. This minimum requirement does not apply to equipment grants; dissertation support, training grants or other awards intended as “student augmentation”; or limited-purpose grants such as travel grants or conference support.