Incoming UF Personnel

Use the Investigator Transferring to UF Form to notify the UF Office of Research of an incoming investigator as soon as the position is accepted.

When a faculty member is hired at UF, they may have sponsored awards to transfer to UF. Award portfolio discussions should be started as soon as the incoming investigator accepts a position at UF. Plan for adequate time to navigate the transfer process, as the transfer of the laboratory or team may potentially involve movement of animals, materials, personnel, and the establishment of subcontracts or Material Transfer Agreements.

Most awards are made to institutions, not individual faculty or staff. Therefore, when a faculty member is hired at UF, their former institution and the sponsor will need to agree to a disposition plan for each of their awards. Some sponsors do not allow transfers or may impose limitations, such as permitting transfers only on the anniversary date of the original award or disallowing transfers late in the budget period. Some former institutions may elect to retain awards and add UF as a subrecipient. 

Options for what may happen to an investigator’s awards:

• The former institution or sponsor may name a new PI and keep the entire award.
• The former institution may name a new PI, keep a portion of the award, and subaward a portion to UF.
• The former institution may relinquish the award to the sponsor. 
• The entire award may transfer to UF. There may be an expectation that UF will issue a subaward back to the former institution.

Tips and Recommendations

• The transfer process takes time. The sooner it is started, the better.
• Notify the UF Office of Research of the transfer by completing the Investigator Transferring to UF form.
• If transferring assets to UF, contact UF Asset Management.
• If an incoming investigator is not yet at UF, they can still start proposals and transfers through UF’s online proposal and award management system, UFIRST. Their UF grants contact will need to ensure they have a job record in UF’s HR system and will need to attach confirmation of their job acceptance with a PI eligibility request in UFIRST.
• Additional guidance related to the proposal process can be found on the Proposal Preparation & Submission page.
• After an award is transferred to UF, the PI must also meet mandatory training and compliance requirements (including IACUC and IRB approvals if applicable) before funding can be released for spending.
• For specific guidance for select Federal sponsors, please see NIH Grants Policy Statement 8.1.2.7 and the NSF Transfer Policy.
• Remember that some materials are covered by a Material Transfer Agreement. Work with UF Office of Tech Licensing to ensure proper, legal access to and use of materials at UF.

Last updated 10/25/24