When Georgia Tech accepts a grant or contract from an external sponsor, the Institute assumes responsibility for the proper performance of the stated project, for the fiscal management of the funds received, and for accountability to the sponsor. The PD/PI is responsible for determining the intellectual direction of the research and scholarship, and for the training of graduate students. In addition, the PD/PI is responsible for the design, conduct, and reporting – both scientific or technical and fiscal – of the research.
Because of these obligations, the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI or Co-PD/PIs) must be a member of the General Faculty of the Institute (current faculty member or retired but working on an hourly-as-needed basis) and there is at least one School/Laboratory/Department willing to provide the necessary administrative commitment to permit the program to be carried out.
In rare instances, others such as Academic Professionals may be authorized to serve as a PD/PI for a specific project and then only with the prior written approval of the School Chair, Lab Director, or Department Head and the Office of the Vice President for Research. At the recommendation of the appropriate School Chair/Department Head, a Post-doc employee may be designated as a Co-PD/Co-PI.
Non-employees are not generally eligible to serve as a PD/PI on sponsored projects. Adjunct faculty must be employees of Georgia Tech to serve as PI/PD. Requests for exceptions for a non-employee to serve as PD/PI on a specific project for a limited time may be directed to the Senior Vice Provost for Research and Innovation. A without-compensation appointment and associated agreements regarding intellectual property, liability insurance, compliance with Institute polices and procedures, and related matters will be required.
In addition please review the Minimum Effort Policy and the Change PD/PI Policy.