Susan, I would suggest that the problem here is that your employee, the PI,
was not adequately supervised.  At least I assume that you did have an
employer-employee relationship with these project managers!  I also assume
that the project managers had the professional credentials to propose and
lead the project.  This is an academic management problem, not a sponsored
programs problem.  And if academic management is unwilling to supervise
project directors, how can you expect them to supervise regular faculty
members?  Is there some magic by which being regular faculty makes those
individuals more responsible, or better behaved?  For example, does nobody
keep any eye on how they run the project?  Does your system allow them to
set their own pay?  Does your system allow NCTE's based on PI whim with no
review?

Academics are independent cusses, and academic management must see that the
heard is migrating in somewhat the same direction, or you will get
absolutely nowhere!

Chuck

At 05:35 PM 2/23/2005, you wrote:
>At my previous institution the answer is no.  I am trying to instill
>this policy here also.  Several problems have developed due to allowing
>project directors, paid totally by the grant, become the PIs.  Some have
>given themselves pay raises - others have not spent all the money - then
>requested a no cost extension thus keeping themselves employed for
>another year (and committing the instution to some in kind costs!).  We
>have also seen where no records where kept on an off campus project - we
>are not sure if the proposed activities were completed!  I strongly
>recommend that you have a person with a regular faculty position oversee
>the grant project.
>
>Susan W. Meslang
>Director of Grants and Sponsored  Programs
>Tidewater Community College
>121 College Place
>Norfolk, Virginia  23510-1907
>Office 757 822-1773
>Cell 757 409-2887
>Fax 757 822-1007
>xxxxxx@tcc.edu
>
>
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Herbert "Chuck" Chermside, CRA
Director Emeritus, VCU Sponsored Programs
Executive Director, Research Administrators Certification Council
1915 Robindale Rd.
Richmond, VA 23235-3931
804-320-5502
xxxxxx@verizon.net

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