Revised PI Eligibility Requirements
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is announcing an update to Principal Investigator (PI) Eligibility requirements and process listed on:
- OSP Operating Standard: 200.03 – PI Eligibility, and
- OSP Procedure: 200.03 – Preparing a Waiver Request for PI Eligibility.
Updated PI Eligibility Criteria
A faculty member is eligible to serve as Lead PI on externally sponsored projects if they have:
- a permanent EHRA faculty appointment and
- Full-Time Equivalency (FTE) hours between 0.75 to 1.0.
Effective 9/9/2024, if the faculty member meets the above eligibility criteria, a PI eligibility waiver is not required.
Updated PI Eligibility Waiver Request Process
If a PI eligibility waiver is required, the PI Eligibility Waiver Request Form and supporting documentation must be uploaded to the RAMSeS IPF.
- Faculty FTE between 0.50 and 0.74
- PI waiver form must be approved/signed by the responsible dean, director, or department chair (DDD) of the faculty member’s appointing department.
- Faculty FTE less than 0.50
- PI waiver form must be approved/signed by the responsible DDD and OSP.
- Non-Faculty Appointments
- PI waiver form must be approved/signed by the responsible DDD and OSP.
Revised PI Eligibility Waiver Request Form
In the PI Eligibility Waiver Request Form (revised on 9/9/2024), the DDD may request that a PI Eligibility waiver for an employee remain active for the duration of the proposed Lead PI’s appointment. The waiver can be applied to future proposals if the proposed Lead PI’s appointment type and position conditions listed on the approved waiver remain unchanged and OSP approves the request. The approved waiver must still be submitted in the RAMSeS IPF for all proposals where the employee intends to serve as Lead PI.
REMINDER: The PI Eligibility Waiver Form does not open in a web browser. Clicking the link will automatically save the form to your computer’s Download folder, where you can open it using Adobe Reader or Acrobat.
FAQ on Revised PI Eligibility
Q: I have an approved PI waiver on the prior waiver form, do I need to request another waiver on the revised form dated 9/9/2024?
No. PI waiver forms fully approved by the department and OSP will be accepted for proposals that are unsubmitted as of the date of this announcement. If a PI waiver form has been fully approved at the department level (DDD signed by 9/11/2024) and only requires OSP approval, the prior waiver form will be accepted. However, if the individual wishes to serve as Lead PI on a future proposal, the updated waiver form must be completed.
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Q: Does the revised operating standard mean that anyone can serve as PI?
The OSP operating standard 200.03 on PI eligibility has always outlined who may qualify to serve as PI on externally sponsored projects. it remains essential that highly qualified individuals are designated to serve as PI in a manner consistent with the Board of Governor’s policy regarding the appropriateness of University Research, and aligned with the University’s policy on ethics in research. Previously, the standard required that faculty members have 1.0 FTE to be eligible to serve as PI. Under the revised standard effective 9/9/2024, faculty may have a FTE between 0.75 to 1.0 to be automatically eligible.
Q: Does the revised operating standard supersede previously approved PI waivers our department utilized?
Previously, individuals were required to obtain a PI waiver for each proposal submission. Effective 9/9/2024, an approved PI waiver may be applied to subsequent proposals if requested and approved on the revised PI Eligibility Waiver Request Form. The proposed Lead PI’s position title & appointment type must remain unchanged and their FTE must not have decreased as listed on the DDD and OSP approved form. For questions on other department arrangements, please email SponsoredPrograms@unc.edu.
For questions related to specific proposals, please contact your department’s OSP Sponsored Programs Specialist/Officer or School of Medicine Sponsored Programs Office Grants Analyst. For general inquiries, contact SponsoredPrograms@unc.edu.