What Is a Principal Investigator and How to Become One
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What Is a Principal Investigator?
A principal investigator, or PI, is the primary representative of an organization that requests a grant. As a principal investigator, you are responsible for the preparation and completion of the research or project being funded by the grant. Your primary goal is to provide sufficient justification for the proposal or grant request to the funding entities. Other job duties include developing research strategies to gather data, analyzing and writing up a summary of the results of the research, and ensuring the project complies with all applicable laws and regulations. A PI may be required to present the results of the study to faculty, peers, and grant approvers.
How to Become a Principal Investigator
To pursue a career as a principal investigator, you need a bachelor’s degree in a subject related to your field of research. Many organizations require principal investigators to also have a master’s degree or a doctorate. Acquire a grant writing position to learn how to write successful grant proposals. Once you have several years of experience, seek principal investigator positions in the industry where you gained your experience.
