Policies and Procedures

It is critical that you familiarize yourself with the policies and procedures that govern sponsored research at Princeton, including those listed below. For action-oriented guidance related to all aspects of sponsored research funding, visit the sponsored research lifecycle section of this website.

The Office of Finance and Treasury's Policies webpage provides an alphabetical list of policies that are managed by ORPA/F&T.

The University also offers a Policy Library that serves as a resource for the campus community managed by the Office of Institutional Compliance.

Have questions? Feel free to contact us at any time.

Policies by Category

Export Controls

The current Export Controls Policy, along with information related to all aspects of working with foreign countries or non-U.S. persons, including travel guidance, can be found in the dedicated Export Controls section of our website.

Finance Related Policies

The Office of Finance and Treasury captures all finance-related policies on their Policies A-Z webpage.

These policies include:

Cost Sharing
Off Campus F & A
Fabricated Equipment
and many more

Harassment and Sexual Assault

Princeton University is committed to creating and maintaining an educational, working, and living environment free from all forms of harassment and sexual misconduct. The University’s policies prohibit such harassment and misconduct and apply to all members of the University community.

Additional information on this topic can be found on this website.

Inappropriate Foreign Influence

The current information on Inappropriate Foreign Influence can be found in the dedicated Inappropriate Foreign Influence section of our website.

Intellectual Property and Contracting

The below resources cover scenarios listed below:

Contracts: Office of General Counsel and Office of Procurement Contract Provisions
Dean of the Faculty: Copyright and Intellectual Property
Patent Policy-related Bayh-Dole Act Implementation Procedures

PI Eligibility

The University Research Board (URB) determines who may serve as a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Investigator (Co-PI) on a sponsored research project. PIs maintain ultimate responsibility for all project and funding decisions, and for compliance with applicable sponsor or University guidelines.

PI status is generally restricted to those who hold certain ranks. However, exceptions are sometimes made. Visit the Dean for Research site for complete details.

Property Control and Record Retention

The below resources cover scenarios for property control and records retention:

Property Control and Accounting [PDF]
Records Management: Records Retention

Research Compliance (RIA and EHS)

Compliance is an essential component of every sponsored research project. Familiarize yourself with the below standards prior to beginning work.

Research Integrity and Assurance (RIA)

Visit the RIA site for policies related to:

Animal Research Protection - IACUC
Biohazards - IBC
Human Research - IRB
Conflict of Interest in Research - COI

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)

Visit the EHS site for policies related to:

Biological Safety
Chemical Safety
Radiation Safety

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

We advise you to review the complete Responsible Conduct of Research Policy and University Implementation Plan, found on this site, prior to beginning any sponsored research project.

Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research at Princeton

Princeton University is committed to responsible and ethical conduct in the classroom, workplace, and laboratory, and this commitment is reflected in many of Princeton’s policies and procedures. These policies and procedures serve both to outline Princeton’s core values and to promote compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Princeton believes that it is important for members of the University community to be aware of these policies and procedures, and for individuals and organizations outside of the University community to know of Princeton’s dedication to responsible and ethical practices and conduct. This site brings together Princeton’s policies and procedures which, individually and taken as a whole, embody such commitment, and it serves as Princeton’s Code of Business Ethics and Conduct under federal law.

No policy can foresee every situation in which a question about ethical or business conduct may arise. If you have questions, require additional resources, advice, or information, or you have observed or suspect any violations of Princeton’s policies, you are encouraged to conduct ORPA and/or any of the following offices, as appropriate.

Subawards

All aspects of initiating and monitoring subaward agreements issued to collaborating organizations are reflected in the Office of Finance and Treasury’s Subaward Policy.

For procedures in managing subawards, please see the ORPA webpage on subaward administration.