Pre-Award
Pre Award & Proposal Development
Learn about the eligibility, requirements, and structure of proposal development at UCF
A Principal Investigator (PI) must be identified for every proposal submitted by the university. Although there may be multiple Co-Principal Investigators (co-PI) or co-investigators (co-I) involved in a proposal, one individual must be responsible for the preparation, conduct, and administration of a research project.
Principal Investigator (PI) Eligibility Policy
To serve as a PI, one of the following criteria must be met:
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Full-time faculty member currently employed by UCF.
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Faculty member with emeritus status, with prior approvals from the College Dean or Division Head/Vice President, and Associate Vice President (AVP) for the Office of Research.
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A post-doctoral employee at UCF.
Special Circumstances
- Graduate students employed by UCF as Graduate Teaching Assistants/Associates (GTAs), Graduate Research Assistants/Associates (GRAs), or Graduate Associates (GAs) may serve as a Principal Investigator on fellowships authorized by the sponsoring agency. GTAs, GRAs, and GAs can also serve as Co-Principal Investigators on any proposal with a faculty member already authorized to submit proposals.
- Undergraduate students can serve as Principal Investigators under a fellowship authorized by the sponsoring agency.
Exceptions
Individuals other than full-time faculty may serve as a PI under certain circumstances with documented prior approval from their supervisor and co-signed by their Department Chair or Associate Dean for Research.
The Department Chair must send an email to the Vice President for Research (VPR), with a cc to the Proposal Administrator. Only the VPR can approve the authorization of the non-faculty individual’s participation as a PI or Co-PI. This approval must be added to the HRS Funding Proposal Record before proposal submission.
Note: This guidance also applies when an agency uses alternative titles (e.g., Project Manager, Program Director) for the PI.