Principal Investigator: Accepting Role of PI

Who can accept the role of PI/PD?

Following are suggestions:

• Full-time tenure track faculty members (regardless of academic rank) are eligible to serve as PI/PD;
• Individuals holding certain other University appointments are allowed to serve as Principal Investigators for projects that relate to their official duties within the following limitations: Such persons (e.g., directors, senior administrators, visiting faculty, or retired faculty) are eligible to serve as PI/PD upon approval by the Dean. In such cases, a formal Memorandum of Designation must be signed and on file with ORA; if an Adjunct Faculty, a full-time faculty member may be required to serve as a co-PI/PD;
• Full-time regular staff with appropriate qualification are eligible to serve as PI/PD;
• Some individual fellowship application guidelines require that the Fellow be listed as PI/PD (e.g. NIH National Research Service Awards). In these cases a Sponsor or Mentor meeting the eligibility criteria suggested above must be named as Project Director (PD) on MSU proposal records. This individual is responsible for administrative and scientific oversight of the project.