Can a newly hired faculty member serve as a principal investigator on a proposal in advance of their employment contract start date?

Answer

Yes, provided the Board of Trustees (BOT) has approved the hiring of the new faculty member and the employment contract start date is before the start of the project. The new faculty member must follow all applicable campus procedures for proposal submission, including the requisite certifications. In situations in which there is a hard sponsor proposal deadline and BOT approval is pending, the academic dean or institute director may grant approval to serve as a PI. Should BOT approval be denied, the proposal will be withdrawn.