Research Personnel

PIs should be familiar with all that personnel with could be involved with the research.

Key/Senior Personnel 

Individuals that contribute to the development and execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way.  Typically, these individuals have doctoral or other professional degrees. These individuals must devote a measurable effort to the project.

Research Staff Positions 

The research enterprise at UNT greatly depends on the research staff within research units, core facilities, and departmental units. These research staff are not automatically eligible for PI eligibility but can request PI/CoPI eligibility through the process outlined above. Many sponsored projects can support research positions to conduct the research outlined in the project proposal. Refer to the agencies' guidelines to understand research personnel allowances.

A postdoctoral scholar is an individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path. (See the NIH-NSF Definition of a Postdoctoral Scholar. (PDF - 85 KB)) Funding opportunities exist specifically for early career researchers (e.g. postdoctoral fellows).  The AVPRI serves as advisor to the UNT Postdoctoral Association to facilitate research opportunities and development for these early career researchers.

Research Positions

Visiting Scholar/Researcher 

Defined as an individual who is affiliated with an organization/institute outside of UNT who is invited/sponsored by a faculty member to collaborate on a research or scholarly project. The activity should benefit the researchers and further UNT’s research mission. Anyone working on campus with a researcher to collaborate for 2 weeks or longer is considered a visiting researcher.

UNT procedures for hosting a visiting scholar/researcher are managed through the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Research personnel must submit a form to request a visiting scholar.

Student Researchers 

Traditionally, graduate students have played a significant role in the conduct of sponsored research. Undergraduate students are also increasingly involved in research activities. For all students participating in sponsored research projects, it is important to assure that the terms of sponsored research agreements will not conflict with a student’s academic progress and that students have the right to refuse to participate in a particular project if they so choose.

Department, School, College, and/or Institute Administration 

Administrative staff at the department, school, college, institute or other unit level are a critical component of successful sponsored project administration and therefore are strongly encouraged to provide administrative support to their faculty and staff for all research and sponsored project activity within that unit. Included in this staff category are department administrators, research analysts, administrative coordinators, and budget officers, et al. It is essential that administrative staff maintain current knowledge of sponsor regulations and UNT policies and procedures related to sponsored projects management and research compliance. 
Administrative staff may assist PIs by:

1. Preparing and reviewing documents including budget, budget justifications, effort report data, non-competitive renewals, interim and final financial reports, other closing reports, and the appointment of individuals to the project;
2. Preparing in a timely manner, original and continuing documents for review by the PI for submission to appropriate research compliance committees.
3. Developing and maintaining department processes for reviewing payroll allocations on a regular basis, preferably monthly, preparing timely ePARs to document changes, ensuring only people working on the project get paid on the project, and ensuring the % of time paid on the project accurately reflects the % of time actually worked on the project.
4. Documenting cost sharing, proposal preparation, and compliance committee reviews;
5. Processing financial transaction requests;
6. Assisting with allocating costs across multiple projects.
7. Analyzing financial reports and resolving overdrafts in a timely manner;
8. Reconciling project accounts in a timely manner;
9. Monitoring and resolving outstanding encumbrances in a timely manner; Initiating requests for cost transfers including payroll re-allocations in a timely manner;
10. Notifying the PI of any problems regarding grants or contracts management;
11. Developing and maintaining internal systems for ensuring regulatory compliance and that prevent compliance approval lapses;
12. Notifying DRI of changes in key personnel; and
13. Performing duties delegated by the PI, including but not limited to data collection and analysis, interaction with auditors, and preparation and maintenance of documentation.