Key personnel are those people, including PIs and Co-PIs, who are essential to carrying out the work of a project, typically those responsible for the design, conduct and reporting of the research.
Identifying Key Personnel
MIT requires that PIs and Co-PIs, as well as fellows on any fellowship proposal, must be included as key personnel, and sponsors may set additional requirements. However, the resulting notice of award may not include all key personnel listed in the proposal.
PIs are discouraged from listing additional project participants as key personnel, since key personnel must meet additional requirements, depending on the sponsor.
Key personnel from other institutions (e.g., a co-sponsor on a fellowship) will need to get a Kerberos account to complete MIT requirements.
Expectations for Key Personnel
If listed in KC, key personnel must certify proposals and follow MIT requirements, including FCOI disclosures in KC.
Sponsor requirements for key personnel apply to those listed on the notice of the award. Requirements vary by sponsor, but often include:
- Disclosures
- Prior sponsor notice and approval for changes in effort (especially decreasing effort)
- PI/DLCI tracking of effort
- MFTRP certification
- Research Security Training
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For federal sponsors, tracking key personnel varies depending on the agency.
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Non-federal requirements will vary by sponsor and funding mechanism. Review the sponsor requirements around key personnel and the notice of award for sponsor-designated key personnel. Adhere to award tracking requirements and submit change requests requiring sponsor prior approval to RAS for review prior to submitting to the sponsor.
Proposal Stage
All key personnel must be included in the proposal before it is routed to RAS. PIs and Co-PIs must certify the proposal, and additional key personnel may need to certify depending on the sponsor or solicitation:
- NIH/PHS proposals: Follow instructions on Investigators and Key Persons Certifications NIH/PHS Sponsor Proposals [PDF]
- Non-NIH/PHS proposals: If a non-NIH/PHS solicitation or sponsor requires key personnel (aside from PIs and Co-PIs) to certify, the Aggregator should check the "PCK" flag in KC: Certifying Key Persons and Fellows [PDF]
- Fellowship proposals: Fellowships require the faculty mentor to be the named PI and the graduate or postdoctoral fellow to be named in the role of Key Person. The Aggregator must check the "PCK" flag in the Supplemental Information section.
Award Stage
At award, review the Notice of Award for named key personnel:
- Contact your RAS CA to update the list of key personnel in KC.
- Ensure all listed key personnel meet sponsor requirements. If sponsor requirements are not met, the account will remain in hold status.
Managing Key Personnel for the Life of the Award
PIs and DLCIs are responsible for tracking effort for key personnel.
No changes may be made to the key personnel on a project before review by your RAS CA. After RAS reviews a requested change, they can advise on sending it to the sponsor, and update the key personnel listed in KC when appropriate. (Only RAS can update the key personnel in KC.)
Request RAS review (before requesting approval from sponsor) if:
- Key personnel reduce their effort.
- Key personnel leave the Institute.
- Key personnel take a leave of absence.
- New key personnel are added to the award. If approved, new key personnel will need to certify the proposal.
When writing to your RAS CA for review, provide any relevant correspondence between the PI and the sponsor and plan to discuss any cost-sharing affected by the change.