PI Eligibility and Waiver Process
The Research Policy Handbook (section 2.1) specifies the eligibility to serve as Principal Investigator (PI) on a sponsored project. This webpage includes the criteria for obtaining PI waivers for those without PI eligibility, the various types of PI waiver exceptions, and the procedures and templates for preparing PI waiver requests. All PI waivers in the School of Medicine require review by your RMG institutional official.
- Waivers for Industry-Sponsored Clinical Trials should be submitted to your Clinical Trials Research Process Manager (CT RPM).
- Waivers for Data Use and Material Transfer Agreements (for Clinical Educators only) should be submitted to RMG’s CT Intake Team at RMG_CT_Intake@stanford.edu.
- Waivers for all other Grants and Contracts should be submitted to your Research Process Manager (RPM).
Any questions should be directed to your assigned CT RPM or RPM.
For information regarding PI Waivers for Stanford internal funding opportunities, please review the information here: Internal Pilot or Seed Grant Waiver.
PI waivers are not needed for Fellowships, but are needed for mentored career development grants.
Determine PI eligibility
Eligibility to act as a PI or co-principal investigator (Co-PI) on externally funded projects is a privilege limited to members of the Academic Council and to the University Medical Line faculty. This policy limitation is in place because PIs are responsible for determining the intellectual direction of the research and scholarship, and for the training of graduate students.
The designation of PI or Co-PI for any member of the Academic Staff, or other individual who is not a member of the University's Academic Council or University Medical Line faculty, requires specific approval by the relevant department chair, school dean and, in some cases, the Dean of Research, by obtaining PI Waivers as described under PI Waiver exception categories.
Process to request a PI waiver
Waivers must be obtained before submitting a proposal for a sponsored project or entering into an agreement.
- The categories of PI waiver exceptions offered under RPH 2.1 are provided below for your review.
- Once you’ve made a determination of the applicable PI waiver exception category, obtain the associated PI waiver template from the Resources section on this webpage.
- Submit the PI waiver signed by your Department Chair with the required attachments to your RPM or CT RPM at least 5 - 7 business days prior to the sponsor deadline. It is recommended that the PI waiver request is submitted at least two weeks prior to the sponsor deadline.
- The RPM or CT RPM reviews the request, submits the request to the School of Medicine Senior Associate Dean for Research for final review and approval, and then notifies the requestor of the outcome.
PI waiver exception categories
Please expand the PI waiver exception categories below for more information and guidance. There is also a chart provided below that contains eligibility for waiver types by different positions at Stanford.
Resources
PI Waiver Templates:
- Career Development: non-Clinical Fellows & Residents
- Career Development: Clinical Fellows & Residents
- Clinician Educator
- Clinician Educator Data Use Agreement/Material Transfer Agreement
- Conferences, Exhibits, Workshops or Public Events
- Early PI ship
- Specific Projects Which Are Part of a Large Interdisciplinary Program
- Rare Exception
- Specific Projects Which are Part of a Shared Facility or Service Center
Expanded Career Development Templates:
GME Resident / Clinical Fellow Form:
Download Fillable Form
PI Waiver eligibility by position
* Type of Position |
PI Waiver Exception Types* |
|||||||
|
Eligible for a PI waiver? |
Expanded Career Development PI Waiver Program |
Career Development |
Clinician Educator |
Conferences and |
Early PI ship |
Inter-disciplinary Project |
Shared Facility or Service Center |
Faculty (UTL, UML, NTLR) with pending appointments |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
Academic or Research Staff: |
Yes |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
Clinician Educators (CE): Assistant, Associate, and Full Professors |
Yes |
|
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
|
Instructors: |
Yes |
X |
X |
|
X
|
|
X |
|
Clinical Instructors (CE) |
Yes |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
Clinical / Medical Fellows and Residents* |
Yes |
|
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
Postdoctoral Fellows |
Yes | X | X | X |
|
X |
|
|
Graduate Students** |
Yes |
|
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
*with an approved GME Resident / Clinical Fellow Form
**if the sponsor eligibility criteria confirms that graduate students are eligible for the specific program