Are you considering moving yourself and your currently or future-funded research project to a different institution? Although most PIs know this, it’s worth mentioning here because some do not: When an award is made, it goes to the institution, not to the PI. Of course, the lead PI must head up the research project. That said, I’ll give an example below of when an exception might be made. I’ll provide guidance for navigating this transition. However, below is general guidance: Be sure to check with your current institution and sponsors for their policies.

When I was a program manager, the biggest mistake I saw was PIs assuming their award could be ‘transferred.’ You should remove that idea from your mind completely. There is no ‘transferring’ of an award. This is because the agreement to fund is between the government and your institution, not you. 

First, recall that many PIs change institutions, so don’t feel bad, or that you are creating a burden for someone. The fact that it’s a cumbersome process is not your fault. Just communicate with your funders about your situation at each stage:

• Before a proposal is submitted: If you have been invited to submit a proposal based on a whitepaper or some other preproposal process and you learn you will be changing institutions, let the program officer know right away. They very well may request that you submit the proposal from your new institution. If your start date is sufficiently far in the future, the new institution may be able to give you an adjunct appointment so that you are set up in their system and can submit proposals from that institution. You will need to check with your current institution to make sure you are not in violation of any of their policies when doing this.

• When a proposal is pending: If you have a proposal pending and learn that you will be changing institutions, send an email to your program officer right away. They will provide guidance on what steps to take. That will likely depend on where the proposal is in the review process and related factors. They may ask you to withdraw the proposal and submit it from the new institution ASAP, or they may let a review process proceed. While you will eventually need to submit it from the new institution, they may be able to transfer proposal reviews from the original proposal to the new one.

• When you have an active award: If you are working on an active award, it is still important that you let your program officer know your plans as soon as possible. This is especially important if all the planned funds have not already been obligated. It is a hassle for the government to de-obligate funds, so you want to let the program officer know to stop obligating funds on the award at your current institutions or, perhaps, obligate just enough to support the research through your end date. You will likely have to resubmit a new proposal from the new institution so you can continue the research there. Or, if the work is near completion, a PI at your current institution can be made PI on the award. This way, the work can be completed and continue to support trainees who remain there. Transferring the award to a new PI can also occur in the case of the departure of the original PI for other reasons. You will probably need to produce justification that the new PI is qualified to lead the research in your place.

• Wherever you are in the funding process: Another mistake you do not want to make is assuming that the funder will not learn about your move until you tell them. Information travels quickly, and the sooner you can come up with a plan, the easier the process will be for everyone involved. You don’t want to create a headache for the funder, and you may do that if you fail to keep them in the loop. Even though it usually does mean more work for them, by giving them as much lead time as possible -- that is, letting them know your plans as soon as they are official, they will generally be glad to help you. Yours will not be the first or last proposal they must shepherd through this process. Just make sure they hear the news from you. You never want them to feel ‘When was he planning to tell me?’

There’s generally no need to discuss career plans with funders until you’ve accepted an offer. In some cases, if a relationship exits and you are seriously considering a move, it may make sense to discuss that with a program officer and ask them to keep that information confidential -- but I would advise this only for a program officer whom you have been working with for some time.

While this guidance will point you in the right direction, you’ll want to check with your institution and its funder on policies as soon as possible. Maintaining communication during these transitions will ease the process a lot.

What’s the one thing you should do to achieve your funding goals in 2025?

As we move into a new year, it's important to think about what you can do differently this year to achieve your goals. In this video, I invite you to think about your work in terms of three categories: Do It Yourself, Done With You, and Done For You.

When you are ready, here’s how we can help

Need to get your research funded, this year? Check out our 10-week program to get you there.

Ready to book a call to discuss our program or to have Dr. Barzyk provide training at your institution? Let’s chat!