Absence of the Principal Investigator
The principal investigator named in a sponsored agreement is the person to whom both the agency and the university look for appropriate direction, oversight, and management of the award. Most sponsors require that the principal investigator named in the agreement be available to conduct the project for its entire duration.
The sponsor must be informed if the principal investigator will not be available for any continuous period of more than three months (due to sabbatical leave, illness, or other approved leave) or when the principal investigator either withdraws from the project entirely or proposes to devote substantially less effort to the project than was anticipated at the time of award.
In most cases, it is necessary to obtain sponsor approval before making a change in the principal investigator status. Sponsors may elect to terminate any project for which the university is unable to identify a suitable alternative investigator to continue a project.