Principal Investigator Eligibility

PI Eligibility to Submit a Proposal for External Funding

It is University Policy that any individuals who hold one of the following UF positions and have signed the Patents and Copyright Agreement can be a Principal Investigator (PI) and submit proposals for external funding:

A. Faculty in Tenure Accruing Tracks

• Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor
• Curator, Assistant Curator, Associate Curator
• Librarian, Assistant Librarian, Associate Librarian
• Graduate Research Professor
• Distinguished Service Professor
• Distinguished Research Curator
• Eminent Scholar

B.  Faculty in Non-Tenure Accruing Tracks

• Scientist, Assistant Scientist, Associate Scientist
• Scholar, Assistant Scholar, Associate Scholar
• Engineer, Assistant Engineer, Associate Engineer
• Research Professor, Assistant Research Professor, Associate Research Professor
• Extension Scientist, Assistant Extension Scientist, Associate Extension Scientist
• Clinical Professor, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor

C. Other University Faculty and Personnel

• Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School
• Instructor at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School
• IFAS County Extension Faculty
• Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Master Lecturer
• Chief of Police

D. Emeritus Appointees

Each unit shall decide if Emeritus appointees will be allowed to submit proposals. If yes, the Emeritus Professor must have an active job in PeopleSoft HR (generally courtesy faculty). Once this job is active, the chair must still request PI eligibility per the section titled “PI Ineligible Positions to Submit Proposals” below.

E. New Hires

New faculty hires with a PI eligible position will automatically be loaded into UFIRST as soon as they have an active job in PeopleSoft HR.  It is strongly recommended that for any faculty member who has accepted a faculty position at UF the unit have a UF job entry made as soon as possible. If only a temporary courtesy faculty appointment is created, when a UFIRST proposal is created, follow the steps below for “Use UFIRST to Request PI Eligibility”.  Simply indicating the hire date and title is sufficient for DSP to consider and review the request.

PI Ineligible Positions to Submit Proposals

Individuals in the following categories are not eligible to be a Principal Investigator (PI) unless they have a UF eligible PI serve as Co-Principal Investigator (internally or as part of the formal grant application) and has written approval from the Unit (Chair and Director and Dean) and finally DSP. 

A. Ineligible Positions

• Visiting Faculty
• Assistant In, Associate In, Senior Associate In
• Adjunct Faculty
• Research Associates
• Courtesy Faculty
• Postdoctoral Employees
• OPS Faculty
• Graduate Students
• Non-Faculty

Use UFIRST to Request PI Eligibility for Non-Eligible Positions:

To request DSP approval:

• Within the UFIRST Proposal for which the request is made, click on the left side menu item called “ad hoc review”. An pop up box will open for details to be entered.
• The request should be addressed to DSP’s Director, Stephanie Gray.
• The request should be specific to a project and contain information about the qualifications and capabilities of the individual that would allow the person to perform the duties of a PI.
• Include in the request the name of the individual with PI eligibility that will act as Co-PI on the project and assume the PI role in case the approved PI cannot fulfill the responsibilities.
• All correspondence indicating Chair or Director and Associate Dean approval must be attached.