The Georgia Tech Principal Investigator (PI)/Project Director (PD) Eligibility Policy is designed to ensure proper oversight of sponsored projects, thereby reducing risk to the Institute. The policy provides a list of academic and research faculty titles that automatically qualify for the role of PI/PD. However, there are times when it is in the best interest of the Institute to make exceptions to this preapproved list. In these instances, both the Chair/Unit Head and the EVPR must provide approval for the exception. The EVPR has delegated the responsibility for these approvals to the Research Education Outreach and Support Services (REOSS) Directorate.

There are two methods for obtaining these approvals, based on the type of exception requested.

Types of Exceptions/Approval Process

1) Transitional Faculty — Requests to approve a newly hired tenured or tenure-track faculty member as an eligible Georgia Tech PI/PD so that they can begin submitting sponsored project proposals on behalf of the Institute before formally beginning their job responsibilities. In order to qualify the new hire must be under contract to begin working at Georgia Tech, as a tenured or tenure-track faculty member, within one year.

Approval Process: No departmental action is required to initiate approval. Each month Faculty Affairs provides a list of all newly hired faculty who meet the above criteria and the REOSS Directorate approves these researchers as eligible to serve as a PI/PD. The approved list is shared with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) which will allow them to submit proposals with the approved transitional faculty member as PI/PD or Co-PI/PD.

Note: While we may provide approval for an exemption to allow a PI to submit a proposal, Georgia Tech will not be able to accept an award on a PI/PD’s behalf until after the researcher has begun their employment.

2) Other PI/PD Exceptions — Requests to approve all other non-tenured or non-tenure-track faculty, staff, students, or other Georgia Tech affiliated individuals requesting approval to function as a PI/PD on behalf of Georgia Tech.

Approval Process:

• The researcher’s unit submits the request to REOSS via email at training@osp.gatech.edu.
  The request must demonstrate the Chair/Unit Head approval and provide the following information:
  
  “I approve that _____ (named individual seeking PI/COPI status) may be designated as a PI/Co-PI on the _______ grant (include link to solicitation), entitled ________ (title of project, if known), under the mentorship of ______ (name faculty mentor).” 
   
• REOSS will review the request against the sponsor's requirements and guidance to make a determination.
• REOSS will advise the Unit of all determinations and will advise OSP of all approvals

Review Georgia Tech’s PD/PI Eligibility Policy and Transitional PI/PD Policy.

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▪ Have a question? Contact: evproffice@gatech.edu