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Eligibility to be a Principal Investigator Policy

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Eligibility to be a Principal Investigator Policy

Purpose

To establish guidelines and best practices for determining who may serve as principal investigator or project director for externally sponsored programs.

Scope

This policy applies to all University of Dayton (UD or University) faculty and staff involved in the submission of applications for externally funded sponsored programs, but specifically excludes University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) employees.

Policy History

I.  Effective Date:  May 18, 2026

II.  Approval:  May 18, 2026

III.  History: 

  • Approved in its original form: May 18, 2026

IV.  Maintenance of Policy:  Vice President for Academic Research, Office for Academic Research

Definitions

Principal Investigator (PI): The individual designated by UD, the grantee, and approved by the sponsoring agency, who holds primary responsibility for the design, conduct, management, and reporting of a research project, grant, or sponsored program within a university or research institution.

Sponsored Program: Any activity that receives funding from outside the University. Sponsored programs may also be known as sponsored project or sponsored agreements.

Policy

Each sponsored program must have a designated principal investigator (PI).

The PI should be a full-time faculty or staff member who is professionally qualified to conduct the project as determined by the dean or director of the submitting unit[1].  Retired UD faculty holding either a paid exempt level position or no-pay appointment may also be permitted to serve as PI with unit approval.

All other persons (such as adjunct faculty, retirees, or visiting scholars) or a PI on a Leave of Absence without a paid UD appointment may be eligible to serve as PI upon approval by the applicable dean's office. In such cases, the proposed PI must submit a formal request, including the dean’s office approval, to the Office of Academic Research for review. In some cases, it may be appropriate and necessary for a full-time faculty member to be required to serve as a co-PI, to ensure that research programs are overseen with significant ties to UD.

In all cases where a specific rank needs approval to be a PI, it will also require concurrence from the Vice President for Academic Research.

[1] A sponsoring agency may have additional qualifications or requirements that an individual must meet in order to be designated as PI on certain Sponsored Programs.  

 

Appendix A

Professor- Tenure Track
  • Can Serve as a PI:  Yes
  • Co-PI:  Yes
  • Notes:  Assistant, Associate, or Full

Professor – Non Tenure Track
  • Can Serve as a PI:  With Department Head and Dean approval
  • Co-PI:  Yes
  • Notes:  Normally Non-Tenure-Track will serve as CO-PIs

Librarian
  • Can Serve as a PI:  Yes
  • Co-PI:  Yes
  • Notes:  Assistant, Associate, or Full

Adjunct Faculty Member
  • Can Serve as a PI:  Yes, with Department Head and Dean approval
  • Co-PI:  Yes

Professional Faculty*
  • Can Serve as a PI:  With Department Head and Dean approval (e.g., teaching grants)
  • Co-PI:  Yes

* Includes Professor of Practice, Associate Professor of Practice, Assistant Professor of Practice, Clinical Professor, Associate Clinical Professor, Assistant Clinical Professor, Principal Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Lecturer, Professor of Lawyering Skills, Associate Professor of Lawyering Skills, Assistant Professor of Lawyering Skills, Professor of Academic Success,  Associate Professor of Academic Success, Assistant Professor of Academic Success

Retired Faculty/Faculty Emeriti
  • Can Serve as a PI:  With Department Head and Dean approval
  • Co-PI:  Yes

Visiting Faculty
  • Can Serve as a PI:  With Department Head and Dean approval
  • Co-PI:  Yes

Visiting Scholar
  • Can Serve as a PI:  With Department Head and Dean approval
  • Co-PI:  With Department Head and Dean approval

Postdoctoral Scholars or Fellows
  • Can Serve as a PI:  With Department Head and Dean approval
  • Co-PI:  Yes

Academic Affiliate
  • Can Serve as a PI:  With Department Head and Dean approval
  • Co-PI:  Yes
  • Notes:  A formal connection between a researcher in the University where there is a staff conduit. 

Contract Employee
  • Can Serve as a PI:  No
  • Co-PI:  No

Graduate Student
  • Can Serve as a PI:  No (with some limited exceptions)
  • Co-PI:  No (with some limited exceptions)
  • Notes:  May be acceptable for awards that are specifically designed for graduate students.

Staff
  • Can Serve as a PI:  With Department Head and Dean approval
  • Co-PI:  Yes

Non-UD Personnel
  • Can Serve as a PI:  No
  • Co-PI:  No
  • Notes:  Exceptional Cases may be considered to conform with Sponsor Rules
Contact For questions relating to the University policies of Research, please contact:
Kelli Tittle, Research Compliance & Export Control Administrator
937-229-3515 email