There should be a thread on this in the last three or four months.  General
agreement was that there are two matters:
1)  PI (or project director) as responsible for the project's planning
execution and reporting:  This is an academic management decision and could
be standardized across the institution or could be left up to academic
management of the unit.  My preference is that the PI is anyone that the
department chair and dean support.  In some cases -- traineeship, for
example -- this individual need not be an employee.  This is the name on
the proposal.
2)  "Responsible Individual" for managing/controlling the project
budget.  This should be an employee, because of the fiduciary relationship
needed.  For example, if your "technical PI" is a trainee, the mentor is
likely the best individual to be the Responsible Individual.  This is an
internal decision that is not part of the proposal.

Chuck

At 02:51 PM 3/19/01 -0900, you wrote:
>We are entering into a debate about who within the institution can be a
>PI and are interested in how other universities approach the issue. At
>your institutions do you allow staff, students, associate and assistant
>professors, or instructors be PIs on research proposals?
>
>Diane McLean
>Office of Sponsored Programs
>University of Alaska Fairbanks

Herbert B. Chermside, CRA
Director, Sponsored Programs Administration
Virginia Commonwealth University
PO BOX 980568
Richmond, VA  23298-0568
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