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Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty and Staff Resources

Principal Investigator (PI) Responsibilities

Project and Fiscal Responsibilities

Principal Investigators are responsible for the overall proposal preparation and administrative, technical, and fiscal management of sponsored projects. These obligations include, but are not limited to the management of the sponsored project within funding limitations, adherence to reporting requirements and ensuring that the sponsoring agency is notified regarding a change in project status or significant conditions that may affect the sponsored project.  Generally, Principal Investigators shall:

  • Manage the day-to-day operation of sponsored project financial transactions by authorizing direct charges to the sponsored project award;
  • Manage the property acquired with sponsored project funds to ensure proper labeling, inventorying, disposition, and reporting;
  • Ensure that proposed budget items and award expenditures are allowable, reasonable, allocable, and consistently treated as imposed by 2 C.F.R. part 220, the Federal Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Board, and sponsoring agency guidelines;
  • Conform with sponsored award terms and conditions, including limitations and exclusions;
  • Review and comply with University and sponsor policies regarding ethical conduct in research including but not limited to the humane use of animals, protection of human subjects, procurement and use of chemicals and radioactive materials, export controls, conflicts of interest including but not limited to financial disclosures, and intellectual property;
  • Comply with reporting requirements and additional requests related to sponsor notifications and prior approvals;
  • Maintain and retain records and documentation to support sponsored project activities, including but not limited to performance data, financial transactions; and personnel effort; and
  • Oversee the proper close out of sponsored projects, including the submission of all required final reports.

Principal Investigators are not authorized to:

  • Accept or indicate acceptance of a sponsored project award verbally or in writing;
  • Enter into legal agreements including but not limited to grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, subawards, subcontracts, memoranda of understanding, material transfer agreements.
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