Eligibility to be a PI

At the University of Toronto, individuals normally considered eligible to act as Principal Investigators on research grants and contracts include those who hold paid academic appointments at the University or an affiliated institution (such as an affiliated teaching hospital) that extend beyond the period of funding being requested. Retired faculty will be considered eligible with the authorization of their unit head and upon confirmation by the unit head that necessary space and other resources will be made available to support the research. In exceptional cases, approval of eligibility and appointment as a research affiliate for the duration of the grant may be provided by the Dean or Principal of the Faculty or College in which the individual’s appointment is held in response to a written request from the individual’s Chair or Academic Director and which addresses the following points:

  1. The exact nature of the individual’s appointment with the University.
  2. That the individual and the funded research proposal are consistent with the unit’s overall research program and the academic priorities established in the unit’s academic plan.
  3. That the research proposal includes potential for the meaningful involvement of graduate students.
  4. That the unit head ensures provision of all normal and necessary administrative and other unit support for the project.
  5. That the unit head takes responsibility for ensuring the University’s standards of financial, ethical and scientific accountability in the conduct of the funded research project and has formally established intensified reporting arrangements with the individual to this end.
  6. That it is understood that the University may sever its relationship with the project at any time if accountability standards are not maintained.

Principal Investigators approved under these guidelines who are submitting research grant applications or contracts to Research Services for institutional endorsement should include a copy of the Chair’s/Director’s letter, countersigned by the Dean (or his/her designate), with their application. Individuals in non-departmentalized faculties should include a letter from their Dean which addresses the above points. Individuals in the Faculty of Medicine, where all research proposals require decanal endorsement, should consult the Faculty of Medicine Research Office for appropriate procedures.