Written By: Kerry Peluso, AVP
Office of Research Administration
The Principal Investigator (PI) of an award is responsible for oversight and direction of the sponsored project including both the technical and the administrative/financial aspects of the award.
Section 2.1.2 of the current NIH Grants Policy Statement describes this in further detail:
Program Director/Principal Investigator.
A PD/PI is an individual designated by the applicant organization to have the appropriate level of authority and responsibility to direct the project or program supported by the award. The applicant organization may designate multiple individuals as PD/PIs who share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PD/PI is responsible and accountable to the recipient organization or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of all required reports. The presence of more than one identified PD/PI on an application diminishes neither the responsibility nor the accountability of any individual PD/PI…
…PD/PIs are members of the recipient team responsible for ensuring compliance with the financial and administrative aspects of the award. They work closely with designated officials within the recipient organization to create and maintain necessary documentation, including both technical and administrative reports; prepare justifications; appropriately acknowledge Federal support of research findings in publications, announcements, news programs, and other media; and ensure compliance with other Federal and organizational requirements. NIH encourages PD/PIs to maintain contact with the NIH PO with respect to the scientific aspects of the project and the GMO/GMS concerning the business and administrative aspects of the award. The NIH staff contacts list located at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/staff_list_grants_admin.htm#ics includes contact information for NIH grants management and program staff at each IC.
This document can be accessed at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/HTML5/section_2/2.1_roles_and_responsibilities.htm#Recipien.
Further information regarding PI roles and responsibilities at Emory can be accessed at the following links:
- http://www.osp.emory.edu/handbook/emory-ra/r-and-r.html
- http://policies.emory.edu/7.23
- http://policies.emory.edu
The RAS and Emory central research administration staff members are available to support and assist the PI in meeting these responsibilities. Any questions regarding the responsibilities of PI’s should be directed to your assigned RAS or, if not in a RAS, your Departmental Administrator. Alternatively, you may contact Kerry Peluso at kpeluso@emory.edu with related questions.
