Skip Navigation
Search

PI Change in Affiliation (Leaving SBU): Termination or Transfer

When a faculty member who is serving as Principal Investigator (PI) of a sponsored research award transfers to a new institution, SBU must determine whether the award will be relinquished, transferred, or retained under a different PI. In all cases, the departing faculty member must complete certain closeout tasks relating to their awards, (e.g.,  Final Report preparation, final financial expenditures, and Effort Reporting) before their departure.  The PI will need to follow both SBU and sponsor’s specific guidelines for terminating or transferring their sponsored research award.  If circumstances dictate that the PI’s sponsored research awards will be transferred to the PI’s new institution, it is important to review the sponsor’s written guidance, as the process for this type of action will vary by sponsor.  

The SBU Department Admin and/or the PI are encouraged to use the Outgoing PI Award Tracker to identify and coordinate the tasks needed to transfer an award. The Google Sheet should be shared with the OSP Grants and Contracts Post Award team via osp_postawards@stonybrook.edu in order for all parties to keep track of the actions required for each award transfer.

In general, the first step should be to contact OSP Grants and Contracts Post Award team via osp_postawards@stonybrook.edu and to submit an Award Modification Request in myResearch Awards for each individual award that requires termination or transfer  (select Transfer to New Institution or Early Termination). The Post Award team or the OSP Specialist that receives the request will verify the information, will run an internal report of all proposals and awards affiliated with the PI, and will coordinate internally the assignment, questions and follow up communications. OSP will provide guidance on each sponsor’s requirements for terminating or transferring an award and ensure that the University’s policies are followed. Typically, award transfer and/or terminations require the combined efforts of the PI, the sponsor’s representative, the PI’s department, OSP, Office of Grants Management (OGM), and, when transferring a sponsored award, contract and grants personnel from the PI’s new institution. The contract team will provide guidance once they receive the Award Modification Request in myResearch for any contracts that may require transfer, early termination or change in PI.

PIs may, in some cases, retain an appointment (e.g. unpaid research, voluntary, adjunct, emeritus faculty) at SBU which could allow them to continue overseeing their active awards. While generally acceptable, it is at the discretion of the Chair and the consent of the Dean, to agree to the retention of the PI status especially if the research involves human subject or animal activities. 

If the faculty member leaving SBU is a Co-Investigator who will no longer be working on the project, the PI should contact OSP Post Award to receive Sponsor specific guidance as to how to proceed with removing the Co-Investigator from the award. If the SBU Co-Investigator will continue to work on the project under the auspices of the new institution, the SBU PI will need to take steps to enact a subaward agreement with the new institution. In either case, an award modification request in the myResearch Awards is required to capture these personnel changes.