First-Time Investigators

Any person whose home department is in the UW School of Medicine must hold one of the following academic titles in order to be a Principal Investigator (PI) on a grant. 

  • Professor
  • Research Professor
  • Associate Professor
  • Research Associate Professor
  • Assistant Professor
  • Research Assistant Professor
  • Instructor
  • Lecturer

Note: In the School of Medicine, professional staff may not serve as PIs on grants.

The following academic titles are eligible to submit a grant application only by exception. 
  • Acting
  • Affiliate
  • Clinical
  • Emeritus
  • Senior Fellow with pending faculty appointment

For faculty with these titles, a letter of support from the Division Head must accompany the proposal. Please confer with the Division Administrator to obtain this letter.

Getting Started

Ideally, applicants will communicate with the Division about grant proposals two months ahead of the sponsor deadline.

A useful guide to writing grants can be found on the website of the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP). Faculty members considering developing a grant proposal are encouraged to visit OSP's MyResearch Project Lifecycle information prior to meeting with the Division Administrator. 

When in doubt, refer to OSP's website or ask administrative staff.