Sponsored Program Compliance

A Letter from Interim VP for Research, Steve Dewhurst

December 22, 2022

To all University of Rochester Principal Investigators,

The Principal Investigator (PI) role at the University of Rochester brings significant rewards and responsibilities. PI's are responsible for the intellectual direction of research and scholarship, as well as for the education and training of students. PI's are also responsible for the financial oversight of their awards and for compliance with laws and regulations regarding all aspects of the research enterprise.

More so than ever before, funding agencies are focused on compliance. This focus includes: human subject protection, undue foreign influence, data sharing and management, timely and accurate technical and financial reporting, and export control violations. Noncompliance has resulted in significant monetary penalties to universities, and even individual criminal penalties in some cases.

All research-intensive universities are evaluating how they provide necessary information on sponsored programs compliance to their researchers and administrators, and what educational mandates should be required. It is imperative to understand the rules and regulations related to your research. The ORPA web site is a great source of such information; I recommend that you review this site in detail. Only with compliance and responsible stewardship can we continue in our tradition of research excellence.

Steve Dewhurst
Interim Vice President for Research
University of Rochester