Use of the term PI/Principal Investigator v. PD/Project Director?

[futureapppsy2]

Hi all,

I'm the lead investigator on a non-grant-funded project (we're splitting the fairly minimal costs, with me covering the larger share). My Co-I has always referred to me as the PI. However, my PI at my RAship said that "Project Director" may be a better term due to the non-grant-funding, but that s/he isn't sure either, having never worked on anything that wasn't grant funded. FWIW, my Co-I has approved of the term "PI" on my CV.

However, I want to make sure that I'm "in the right" here, as I would hate to unintentionally appear to be padding/exagerrating on my CV.

Could anyone provide any clarity on the use of PI v. PD?

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[Ollie123]

PI = Basically means person whose project it is, at least here. This probably did get its start in grant-funding, but it seems to have made it into the mainstream. In other words, I am listed as the PI on my master's thesis when we submitted the IRB.

If this is "your" study I would put PI. If its someone else's design and you are basically just managing it, I would maybe put PD although the places I've worked at use Project Coordinator instead of Project Director for non-PhD level folks in that position.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Thanks, that's pretty much what I thought!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Exactly what Ollie wrote. Generally PI is known as the lead person, while PC is usually the day to day person who handles it, and PD is something I haven't run across much in regard to research.