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Who is eligible to be a Principal Investigator (PI) for human subjects research?

In general, only persons with MCW faculty appointments may serve as Principal Investigators. Students, residents and fellows generally are not allowed PI status -- students, residents, and fellows must recruit an MCW faculty member to serve as Principal Investigator for IRB purposes.

There are exceptions:

• Froedtert Hospital has a system for recognizing qualified Froedtert Nurses and Pharmacists as Principal Investigators.

• Staff at Community Memorial Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital who do not have MCW faculty appointments are generally eligible to serve as Principal Investigators, unless they are students, residents, or fellows.

• Staff at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin who do not have MCW faculty appointments will be generally eligible to serve as Principal Investigators, unless they are students, residents, or fellows.

• Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin IRB has its own, different rules about who may serve as a Principal Investigator.

• Zablocki VA Medical Center has its own, different rules about who may serve as a Principal Investigator.