These guidelines are applicable for determining whether an individual is eligible to serve as a Principal Investigator for a human subjects research study or a faculty sponsor for student projects. Because human subjects research and student projects are being conducted and overseen by both faculty at IU and medical staff at IU Health, please refer to the appropriate guidelines below for determining eligibility.

Principal Investigator: The responsible leader of a team of investigators (and research team), who has the ultimate responsibility for the conduct of the research.

Faculty Sponsor: Full or part-time faculty employed by IU who engage in classroom instruction, supervise on or off campus internships, clinical experiences or practica, or mentor students who are conducting independent projects.

Principal Investigator and Faculty Sponsor Eligibility at IU:

The following academic appointee classifications ARE eligible to serve as principal investigators and/or faculty sponsors:

1. FACULTY with the following titles:

• Special Professorship;
• Professor;
• Associate Professor;
• Assistant Professor; and
• Instructor.

2. LIBRARIANS with the following titles:

• Librarian;
• Associate Librarian;
• Assistant Librarian; and
• Affiliate Librarian.

3. ADMINISTRATIVE OR SPECIAL STATUSES with the following titles:

• President;
• Vice President;
• Chancellor;
• Vice Chancellor;
• Dean; (6) Associate Dean;
• Assistant Dean;
• Chairman;
• Director;
• Acting 1 to 5;
• Visiting;
• Adjunct-Compensated;
• Emeritus (Case-by-Case);
• Clinical.

4. RESEARCH STAFF with the following titles:

• Senior Scientist;
• Associate Scientist; and
• Assistant Scientist.

The following academic appointee classifications are NOT eligible to serve as principal investigators and/or faculty sponsors (*see special exceptions below):

1. OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF with the following titles:

• Lecturer;
• Associate;
• Assistant; and
• Teacher.

2. PROFESSIONAL STAFF with the following title:

• Health Center Physician

3. RESEARCH STAFF with the following titles:

• Research Associate;
• Senior Scholar;
• Associate Scholar;
• Assistant Scholar; and
• Post Doctoral Fellow.

4. STUDENT ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS with the following titles:

• Associate Instructor;
• Faculty Assistant;
• Graduate Assistant;
• Student Counselor;
• Academic Intern; and
• Research Assistant.

* Individuals in schools other than the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Dentistry, desiring to serve as principal investigators or faculty sponsors, must either meet the eligibility requirements as outlined above or must receive special dispensation from their School's Chair.

Principal Investigator Eligibility at IU Health:

Physicians must be a member of the IU Health medical staff ("Active" status, "Associate" status, or "Provisional" status), as verified by the Medical Staff Office. Non-physician eligibility requests, (examples: physical therapists, pharmacists, nurses, other IU Health staff), are approved on a case-by-case basis. In these cases, a letter of approval is required from the department head or upline official.

Other eligibility considerations (not included above) are as follows:

1. Student projects must be submitted to the IRB by an eligible principal investigator or faculty sponsor.
2. The eligibility of emeritus faculty and faculty on sabbatical will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Among the factors to be considered are location and nature of the research, relation of research to the faculty member's regular University assignment, etc.
3. Adjunct faculty (not compensated) are eligible when the research is a function of the adjunct relationship and for which the school assumes responsibility.
4. Other special status appointments, e.g., non-paid visiting and non-paid clinical appointees, alone are not necessarily considered eligible.
5. When an IU employee is doing research on behalf of another organization, e.g., in a consultant relationship with compensation provided by the other institution or in a student status at another institution (i.e., not IU), the responsibility for the review is with the other organization/institution.

All key personnel and any researchers directly interacting with subjects are required to complete CITI training every three years.

You must complete one of the following courses based on your main area of research:

• If you are mainly engaged in biomedical research complete: Biomedical Researcher, Stage 1
• If you are mainly engaged in social or behavioral research complete: Social/Behavioral Researchers, Stage 1
• VA researchers should complete the VA CITI course, and should affiliate their CITI account with Indiana University. The VA CITI course fulfills the Indiana University researcher education requirement for VA researchers.
• For assistance with affiliating your CITI account with Indiana University, please email REEP@IU.edu.

Access the CITI program via the CITI program log-in page.

All co-investigators and study personnel are required to complete the Conflict of Interest Disclosure each academic year.

Click here to complete the Conflict of Interest Disclosure form

Students, Residents and Fellows are not eligible to be the PI and must have a faculty advisor serve as the PI of record.