Principal Investigator (PI) Training

PIs are Responsible for Compliance

PIs are responsible for the intellectual direction of research and scholarship and for educating and training students. In carrying out these critical tasks, PIs are also responsible for compliance with laws and regulations that touch on all aspects of the research enterprise.

Regardless of their field of research and scholarship, all PIs should understand the requirements that flow from law and agency regulations pertaining to environmental health and safety, expenditures of project funds, financial disclosures and conflicts of interest, invention disclosures, and reporting of scientific misconduct.

Depending on the type of research being done, there are also important requirements related to research methods, e.g., use of chemicals and other hazardous materials, human subjects, lab animals, radiological hazards, and biosafety.

To protect the individual as well as the university, Stanford requires each of its PIs to complete a brief review of these topics. PIs can do this by reviewing the material on this website. Stanford University will not release project funding for a PI who has NOT satisfied this requirement.

To begin the briefing click on the grey box below entitled Stewardship and Compliance for Principal  Investigators. In order to receive credit, please make sure to follow the instructions to certify your completion. When you have completed the PI Briefing,  your name will appear in the PI Database.

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