# Change in PI or Senior/Key Personnel

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Learn about the process of changing a principal investigator (PI) and how to request a change.

## What Constitutes a Change in Principal Investigator?

A change of PI is a process, usually initiated by the recipient, whereby the federally approved PI is replaced by another individual with the approval of NINDS program officer and grants management specialist. NINDS prior approval is required if the PI is going to withdraw from the project, be absent for any continuous period of 3 months or more (such as sabbatical leave), or reduce the effort level devoted to the project by 25 percent or more from what was approved in the initial competing year award.
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Career awards and fellowships are not permitted to change PIs. However, a change in mentor(s)/sponsor(s) or request for leave of absence is allowed pending NINDS prior approval.

## How to Request a Change in PI

The request for a change of PI must be submitted by an authorized signing official at the recipient organization no later than 30 days prior to the proposed change. The request can be submitted via the eRA Prior Approval module or by email to the NINDS grants management specialist indicated in your eRA Commons account.

If the arrangements proposed by the recipient organization (including qualifications of any proposed replacement) are not acceptable to NINDS, the grant may be suspended or terminated.  If the recipient institution wishes to terminate the project because it cannot make suitable alternate arrangements, it must notify the GMS in writing of its wish to terminate.
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While the program officer’s assessment of the proposed PI is a determining factor of whether the request will be approved, definitive approval (via a revised NoA) or disapproval (letter of disapproval) of this action to the recipient organization must come from Grants Management.

### Change of Single Principal Investigator

**How to Request**

If a recipient wishes to change the Principal Investigator listed on the Notice of Award, the authorized business official should submit a request via the eRA Prior Approval module (preferable) or by email to the assigned GMS/PO. The following information should be included in your request:
              - Justification for the change
              - Biographical sketch of the individual proposed
              - Other support information of the individual proposed
              - Effort contributing to this project of the individual proposed
              - Any budget changes resulting from the proposed change
              - Certification of Human Subjects Protection Training of the individual proposed, if applicable

### Change from Single to Multiple PI or Multiple to Single PI

**How to Request**

Submit a request with the following information via email from the institutional signing official to the assigned NINDS Grant Specialist indicated in your eRA Commons account.
              - Scientific justification for the change to a multiple PI
              - A Leadership Plan as detailed in the competing application instructions, including rationale for changing to a multiple PI approach or the number or makeup of multiple PIs. The governance and organizational structure of the leadership team and the research project should be described, including communication plans, process for making decisions on scientific direction, and procedures for resolving conflicts. The roles and administrative, technical, and scientific responsibilities for the project or program should be delineated for the PIs and other collaborators.
              - Designation of a contact PI that is located at the recipient’s organization
              - Biographical sketches for PIs to be added. The eRA Commons User Name is a required field on the biosketch for these individuals.
              - Other support information for PIs to be added
              - The committed effort level of each PI for this project
              - Any budgetary implications of the change
              - Any proposed changes in scope
              - Certification of Human Subject Protection training for the added PIs, if applicable	  

### Change from Multiple PI to a Single PI

**How to Request**

Submit a request with the following information via email from the institutional signing official to the assigned NINDS grant specialist indicated in your eRA Commons account.
              - Scientific justification for the change to a single PI
              - A description of how the loss of other PIs will affect the capacity to carry out the project and how the single PI will lead the project.
              - Any change of effort level of the single PI for this project
              - Any change of other support information of the single PI
              - Any budgetary implications of the change
              - Any proposed changes in scope

### Change of Multi-PI Arrangement

**How to Request**

Submit a request with the following information via email from the institutional signing official to the assigned NINDS grant management specialist indicated in your eRA Commons account.
              -  Scientific justification for the change of multi-PI arrangement  
              -  A Leadership Plan as detailed in the competing application instructions, including rationale for the changes of multiple PI approach or the number or makeup of multiple PIs. The governance and organizational structure of the leadership team and the research project should be described, including communication plans, process for making decisions on scientific direction, and procedures for resolving conflicts. The roles and administrative, technical, and scientific responsibilities for the project or program should be delineated for the PIs and other collaborators.  
              -  Designation of a contact PI that is located at the recipient’s organization  
              - Biographical sketches for new PIs to be added. The eRA Commons User Name is a required field on the biosketch for these individuals.
              - Other support information for PIs to be added.
              - The committed effort level of each PI for this project
              - Any budgetary implications of the change
              - Any proposed changes in scope
              - Certification of Human Subject Protection training for the added PIs, if applicable, is included

### Change in mentor(s) on Career (K) Awards and sponsor(s) for Fellowships

**How to Request**
              - The Principal Investigator must submit a written request countersigned by an authorized official to the assigned grant management specialist. Note that this does not apply to K02 or K24 Independent Scientist Career Development Awards.
              - The statement of support should be from the proposed mentor/sponsor and awardee documenting the need for substitution, the new mentor's qualifications for supervising the program, and the level of support for the PI’s continued career development. The letter must also document that the specific aims of the research program will remain within the scope of the original peer reviewed research program.
              - The request will be reviewed the Training Office and program and grants management staff. If the replacement sponsor is approved/disapproved, a letter will be sent from the Grants Management Office.

### Changes in Senior/Key Personnel Named in a Notice of Award

On occasion, NINDS program staff will determine that an individual other than the PD/PI is sufficiently critical to the project and that prior approval should be obtained prior to any significant changes in their status (e.g. reduction in effort > 25%, withdrawal from the project entirely, absent for >3 months). This is usually reserved for individuals with select and rare or hard-to-come by expertise, and used only in extraordinary circumstances for staff in temporary positions (e.g. graduate students, postdoctoral fellows).
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Note that prior approval for significant changes in these senior/key personnel ONLY applies to those specifically named in Section IV of the NoA. This is not a status designated by the PD/PI, and is not intended to indicate an individuals stature or level of effort or contributions to the project.

**How to Request**
              - A written request via email must be submitted countersigned or via an authorized institutional official to the NINDS grants management specialist indicated in eRA commons.
              - The request should identify the individual, rationale for the change, and how their contributions will be accounted for with the requested change.