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PI Eligibility

Northwestern University researchers can utilize the below charts to determine whether they are eligible to serve as Principal Investigator (PI) on:

If, based on the researcher’s University status/title, they fall into the “case-by-case” category, the researcher should consult the website of the respective office for detailed instructions on how to submit a formal request for consideration of PI status.

If the researcher has a temporary appointment (e.g., coterminous, summer session, visiting), regardless of whether their status/title is “eligible,” they must submit a formal request for consideration of PI status.

Obtaining approval to serve as PI from one office does not grant automatic approval to serve as PI for other offices. For example, Sponsored Research may approve the researcher to serve as the PI to apply for a grant, but they may need to identify an eligible individual to serve as PI on the IRB or IACUC study, with the researcher serving as co-investigator.

PI Eligibility for IRB Protocols

This table outlines the eligibility criteria for various academic and professional roles to serve as a PI under the oversight of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Eligible Case by Case Not Eligible
Curators Adjunct Faculty Research Assistants and Grad Students
Instructors Lecturers Residents
Librarians Contributed Services Faculty Research Associates
Non-tenure-track Research and/or Clinical Faculty
(full, associate, and assistant professors)		 Health System Clinicians Undergraduate Students
Tenure-track Faculty
(full, associate, and assistant professors)		 Visiting Faculty
Senior Research Investigators
(faculty with emeritus status or who are tenured and retired but wish to continue at PI)		 Visiting Scholars
Postdoctoral Scholars*

* Inclusive of Postdoctoral Scholars (Trainee), Postdoctoral Fellows - National Research Service Award (NRSA) (Trainee), Visiting Postdoctoral Fellows, and Postdoctoral Fellows, Direct Fellowship (Trainee).

PI Eligibility for IACUC Protocols

This table outlines the eligibility criteria for various academic and professional roles to serve as a PI under the oversight of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
Eligible Case by Case Not Eligible
Non-tenure-track Research and/or Clinical Faculty
(full, associate, and assistant professors)		 Adjunct Faculty Postdoctoral Scholars*
Tenure-track Faculty
(full, associate, and assistant professors)		 Lecturers Research Assistants and Grad Students
Senior Research Investigators
(faculty with emeritus status or who are tenured and retired but wish to continue at PI)		 Contributed Services Faculty Residents
Health System Clinicians Research Associates
Visiting Faculty Undergraduate Students

* Inclusive of Postdoctoral Scholars (Trainee), Postdoctoral Fellows - National Research Service Award (NRSA) (Trainee), Visiting Postdoctoral Fellows, and Postdoctoral Fellows, Direct Fellowship (Trainee).

For more information, visit Categories and Benefits: Postdoctoral Affairs - Northwestern University