Principle Investigators Eligibility and Responsibilities

Principal Investigator Eligibility
Responsibilities of Faculty Members
Responsibilities of the Office of Grants and Contracts

Principal Investigator Eligibility

Full time faculty members (professors, associate professors, assistant professors) are eligible to apply for external funding and serve as principal investigators (PIs) or project directors on sponsored projects. Exceptions may be made for other full-time faculty who have titles such as lecturers, senior lecturers, visiting faculty with prior approval from the Dean and the Provost.

Responsibilities of Faculty Members

Upon the final completion of proposal writing and budget preparation, the following checklist should be followed to ensure that the proposed project complies with both sponsor and University requirements:

• The Proposal Transmittal and Approval Form has been clearly filled in and signed by the Investigator. This Form must accompany every proposal submitted to OGC. Unapproved proposal forms will not be processed by OGC and if awarded OGC will not establish an account until receiving the Proposal Transmittal and Approval Form, signed by the main investigator, the chairperson, and the dean. Please note that for FAS faculty, the signature of the chairman of the faculty research committee is also requested.

• Proposal format and content comply with sponsor guidelines.

• If applicable, requirements for the use of animals, human subjects, and radiation safety have been met.

• Sufficient resources are available to meet the project's needs (e.g., use of space, cost-share commitments if any).

• The required number of copies of the proposal plus a copy for OGC's official files is included in the package. The required number of proposals by sponsors varies, please note that OGC does not make copies of proposals.

The Responsibilities of the Office of Grants and Contracts

The office of Grants and Contract is readily available to help faculty members in the various stages of proposal and budget preparation. Proposals are carefully reviewed to ensure that they comply with University as well as the sponsor policies and guidelines. Proposals are reviewed for the following criteria:

• Review of the Proposal Transmittal and Approval Form for signatures of the campus administrators (Dean, Department Chairperson, Faculty Research Committee, and investigator compliance with relevant special reviews (IRB and IACUC approvals if needed).

• Proposal format comply with sponsor guidelines.

• Budget reflects sufficient resources and costing detail to accomplish the project, as well as if it reflects the objectives and tasks included in the proposal.

• Verification of cost-share commitments and if accounts for matching funds have been identified; if applicable.

• Verification of application of indirect costs (if indirect costs are permitted by sponsor agency).

The resubmission of a revised budget and work statement may be necessary if a sponsor notifies the OGC or faculty member that the funds available for a program or project vary substantially from the proposed budget. In this case consideration should be given to whether the scope of work is of such a specific nature that reduced funding would seriously affect the accomplishment of the proposed objectives. A revised proposal is reviewed by OGC in the same manner as a new proposal, and must be received a week before the deadline.