1 Comments
It’s a resubmission. If the overall scientific direction and approach of the project remain the same, it is still considered a resubmission application even if the principal investigator changes. Remember, a rationale for the change should be provided in the introduction.
Surely, there is more to this policy than appears to be the case as this is stated. On its face, this answer belies the concept of “investigator-initiated” research. That is, if PI’s can be switched at will, even with appropriate justification, some uber-PI must have her hand on the program tiller and be the initiator of the research, not the newly proposed PI.
Also, this answer has important implications for the roles of the institution, as grantee organization, and the individual scientist as PI. For example, it would appear to quash forever the question of whether an individual faculty member has any “rights” to scientific property, including intellectual property, paid for with NIH funds. Clearly, under this policy, the substituted PI is considered not to have conceived the study, unless the PI being replaced was a “sham PI” merely holding a place for the application and the new PI in the the review process.
James E. Lewis, Ph.D