The Role of the Principal Investigator (PI)
As the PI is the project lead, it is important to elaborate on the roles and responsibilities of this position. The PI has the subject and/or technical expertise to execute the project and guide all research activities and participants to project completion.
CRI may hire a college researcher to work on a specific project with an industry partner. Alternatively, a college researcher may approach CRI with a project idea and potential partner in order to explore funding prospects. In this instance, the researcher – i.e. the grant applicant – is responsible for the following activities, with support from CRI:
Pre-Award
- Drafting of an application which aligns with sponsor priorities and clearly articulates a plan to achieve research objectives within determined timelines and with an accurate budget.
- Submission of a Curriculum Vitae and/or Researcher Profile.
- Ethics approval if required.
Post-Award
- Ensuring the completion of all project work by all participants, as described in grant application and in compliance with funder and college guidelines and policies.
- Training and supervision of Research Assistants.
- Submission of interim reports, tracking of expenditures, and final reports.
- Consulting with CRI regarding project progress and expenditures and communicating any issues that may arise.
Resource: PI Primer
CRI has created a PI Primer: The role of a Principal Investigator. This handout elaborates on the Pre- and Post-Award activities a PI undertakes.
Resource: PI Checklist
This PI Checklist can help you keep track of the various tasks you must complete.
Further Learning: The Role of a Principal Investigator
If you would like to do a deeper dive into this topic, there is an online module called The Role of the Principal Investigator available in Fanshawelearns. This module is mandatory for all researchers hired by CRI to serve as PIs.
This and other resources can be accessed from the CRI Research Playlist.
