Principal Investigator Responsibilities

Compliance with all pertinent laws, regulations, policies, and award terms is ultimately the responsibility of the principal investigator. Duties include:

  1. To ensure spending is within the terms of the award, relevant and necessary to the project purpose, reasonable in amount, and in compliance with all laws, regulations, University policies, and sponsor guidelines.
  2. When required by the sponsor, to obtain prior approval for certain actions or expenditures such as:
    • Pre-award expenditures
    • Budget modifications
    • Equipment purchases
    • International travel
    • Time extensions

    The principal investigator must contact the Office of Research in a timely fashion (at least 30 days prior o the desired date) to determine if the change can be authorized internally or if it must be referred to the sponsoring agency for approval.

  3. To monitor account activity on a regular basis and work with RSPA to resolve any errors or omissions.
  4. To avoid over-expenditure of award funds, and to promptly identify an alternative source of funds for any inadvertent excess spending.
  5. To certify payment received for personal services was in just proportion to the time and effort expended on a federally funded award.
  6. To comply with sponsor requirements for progress and final performance reports.