The individual with the primary responsibility for the overall scientific, technical, and administrative leadership of a sponsored project.
Principal Investigator Limit: An individual may serve as the lead PI on no more than four (4) active externally funded awards at any one time.
Co-Principal Investigator Limit: An individual may serve as a Co-PI on no more than six (6) active externally funded awards at any one time.
These limits apply to all types of externally funded sponsored projects, including those from federal, state, industry, and non-profit sponsors.
An exception to these limits may be requested when warranted by special circumstances. All exception requests must be submitted in writing to the Office of Research & Innovation (ORI) at the time of proposal submission. The request must include a strong justification and a management plan that details how the PI's workload will be managed to ensure all projects are successful.
Approval for an exception requires the signature of the PI's Department Chair, Dean, and the Provost and Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs or a designee. Factors considered for an exception include:
The nature and complexity of the projects (e.g., multiple small awards vs. large, complex awards).
The PI's demonstrated history of successfully managing multiple awards.
The presence of dedicated administrative support, such as a project manager, to assist the PI.
Principal Investigator (PI): Responsible for being aware of their current active award load, proactively managing their project portfolio, and initiating an exception request when necessary.
Department Chair and Dean: Responsible for reviewing and approving PI workloads at the time of proposal submission, ensuring that faculty have the capacity to take on new projects, and approving valid exception requests.
Office of Research & Innovation (ORI): Responsible for monitoring the number of active awards per PI during the proposal review and award setup process, notifying Pls and departments when limits are approached, and managing the formal exception request process.