Principal Investigator Eligibility

Please check with the Dean's office: 303-724-7100.

The chart below indicates individuals who may serve as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on sponsored projects at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CU SOM). Individuals requiring additional approval must submit a SOM Employment Exception Request Form and obtain approval before serving in a PI or Co-PI role. Volunteer (unpaid) Adjoint faculty and faculty with an Emeriti title who do not also have a paid Adjoint appointment are not eligible.

This policy ensures CU SOM maintains appropriate oversight of individuals in these roles, while acknowledging that all research efforts require genuine, dedicated commitment.

Eligible with a SOM Full-Time (at least 50% FTE) Active Faculty Appointment, employed in part or in full by the University	Eligible with an Active Faculty Appointment and additional approval
	Approvers: Chair, Dean (or designee)
Tenured and Tenure-Eligible Track Instructor Sr. Instructor Assistant Professor Associate Professor Professor   Clinical Practice Track Instructor of Clinical Practice Sr. Instructor of Clinical Practice Assistant Professor of Clinical Practice Associate Professor of Clinical Practice Professor of Clinical Practice   Research Professor Track Research Scientist Sr. Research Scientist Assistant Research Professor Associate Research Professor Research Professor	Adjoint Faculty (Paid) Working PERA/ORP Retiree - Faculty (all working retiree titles*) Full-Time Active Faculty at all ranks whose entire salary is paid by an affiliated institution (VAMC, DHHA, or NJH)

*Effective 4/25/23, CU system added new job codes and titles for working retirees, including “Working PERA Retiree” and “Working ORP Retiree.” PIs and Co-PIs with this job code may have a different working title (eg, any of the tenure track or research faculty titles). Regardless of working title, any PI or Co-PI with the “Working PERA/ORP Retiree” job code will need approval to serve as PI or Co-PI because of the temporary nature of the position (see APS 5054 – Hiring Retirees to Work in Staff or Faculty Positions).

Related Policies:

APS 5060 – Faculty Appointments: Administrative Policy on Approved Faculty Titles (including descriptions): https://www.cu.edu/ope/aps/5060.

APS 5054 – Hiring Retirees to Work in Staff or Faculty Positions: https://www.cu.edu/ope/aps/5054

Please check with the Dean's office: 303-724-1812.

• Professor
  
• Professor Emeritus
  
• Research Professor
  
• Associate Professor
  
• Associate Professor Emeritus
  
• Associate Research Professor
  
• Assistant Professor
  
• Assistant Professor Emeritus
  
• Assistant Research Professor
  
• Senior Instructor
  
• Senior Instructor Emeritus
  
• Senior Research Instructor
  
• Instructor
  
• Instructor Emeritus
  
• Research Instructor

Faculty Eligible to Serve as Principal Investigator on Grant and Contracts

Faculty at all ranks in the following series are eligible to serve as principal investigators:

• Tenure/tenure track
  
• Research, and
  
• Clinical/teaching
  

This includes:

• Professor Emeritus
  
• Professor
  
• Associate Professor
  
• Assistant Professor
  
• Senior Instructor
  
• Instructor
  

Faculty in the Clinical series(Assistant Clinical Professor, etc.), Research Associate and Senior Research Associate, Attendant Faculty, and Adjunct faculty at CSU and UNC with CSPH appointments are eligible to serve as PIs on grants through the CPSH. All such faculty must receive permission from the Department Chair and Dean or designee in writing. Such faculty must agree to abide by all applicable federal, state and University rules, regulations and procedures in order to be eligible. Persons in the Professional Research Assistant or Senior professional Research Assistant ranks are not eligible to serve as PIs.

Faculty with secondary appointments in the School and primary appointment in another School or College of UC Denver are eligible to submit grants and contracts through the school, but must obtain written permission from the Chair of the Department in which the primary appointment is held.

Please check with the Dean’s office of the respective school for determination of eligibility. Normally, PI's should be a faculty member with a permanent appointment who has some component of research in their responsibilities/contract.