(University Faculty Handbook, Faculty Research and Development Assignments, page 308) 
A. The Principal Investigator (PI) is the lead person on the research project and is responsible for the
ethical and professional conduct of all aspects of the project. In the case of doctoral students as the PI, this responsibility falls to the supporting faculty member.
1. All full-time faculty members, self-supporting research professionals, or new faculty who have signed full-time contracts are eligible to be Principal Investigators.
2. Administrators holding the titles of vice president, associate vice president, assistant vice president, vice provost, dean, university librarian, associate dean, assistant dean, and emeritus full and associate professor may be named as PI on projects directly related to the mission and responsibilities of their offices.
3. Doctoral students seeking funding for fellowships, tuition, or support of research leading to the dissertation may be named as PI when a full-time teaching or research faculty member is named on the project as the responsible PI. The faculty member is responsible for seeing that the terms of the grant or contract are fulfilled.
4. Persons holding the following titles in the absence of a faculty appointment as noted above are not eligible to be a PI: director, associate director, assistant director, postdoctoral associate, visiting professors at all levels, and research associates at all levels.
a. Requests for exceptions for those within Academic Affairs can be made by the unit head with written approval of the college dean and the provost and vice president for academic affairs. For those in areas other than Academic Affairs, it will require that such an application for an exception has been recommended by the unit head and approved by the corresponding vice president. All requests must be accompanied by the curriculum vitae of the prospective investigator.
b. The Research Foundation will maintain a list of non-faculty individuals who have been granted permission to submit proposals. The list will note if permission was given on a one-time-only basis or for a more extended period of time. This list will be reported to the provost and vice president for academic affairs, vice president for research, and deans annually.

-Approved by the president
August 21, 2003
Revised July 17, 2006
Revised March 8, 2013