Research Policy & PI-Ship

SLAC Conduct of Research Policy

The SLAC Policy on the Conduct of Research (PDF) clarifies the roles, responsibilities, requirements, and training for PIs and all SLAC researchers on conducting research at SLAC.

The SLAC Director has delegated the authority to implement this policy to SLAC’s Chief Research Officer (CRO). Associate Laboratory Directors (ALDs) ensure that all SLAC researchers and all SLAC PIs in their directorates effectively implement these requirements. The CRO also maintains a current list of all SLAC researchers and all SLAC PIs.

Read the Policy

Stanford Research Policy Handbook

As an affiliated academic unit of Stanford University, research conducted at SLAC is subject to Stanford University’s policies on the conduct of research as documented in Stanford’s Research Policy Handbook.

The Research Policy Handbook is a collection of policies, guidelines, and general information related to the research enterprise at Stanford and at SLAC. The Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research is responsible for publishing all policies in the Research Policy Handbook and for the developing and maintaining the DoResearch website.

Read Stanford's Research Policy

Principal Investigatorship (PI-Ship)

The Principal Investigator (PI) role provides an individual with the authority to lead the definition and delivery of a research program. This represents an important step in the scientists' and engineers' careers allowing them to strike out in new directions based on their own ideas.

At SLAC, any employee is PI-eligible to submit proposals awarded by the Department of Energy (DOE), consistent with the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) requirements. 

For grants funded by other agencies or private sponsors, Stanford's principal investigatorship policy applies. Stanford Research Policy grants all faculty the privilege of being principal investigators of sponsored research projects. For others, there are several exceptions to the PI policy, which are allowed under specific circumstances. Further information on PI eligibility is found in the Stanford Research Policy Handbook (RPH) Section 2.

Learn More About PI-Ship