Duke guidance for appropriate designation of Senior and Key Personnel on sponsored projects

With effort management and DHIP changes already underway at Duke, it’s the perfect time for a refresher on the conditions, obligations, and management of Senior and Key Personnel on sponsored projects.

What does it mean to be Senior or Key Personnel on a sponsored project?

Here are a few things to know:

1. Senior and Key Personnel are specifically and uniquely important to the project and have a specific skill set that is difficult to replace. If replacements for the individual would be readily available, it is appropriate to question the designation. Typically, Senior and Key Personnel designations apply to those in a PI, co-PI, multi-PI, or Program Director roles who have a doctoral or other terminal professional degree. If the individual’s skill sets and contribution to the project aren't considered irreplaceable to the extent that their absence from the project would call into question the team’s ability to carry out the project activities, then it may be wise to reconsider the Senior/Key designation.
2. The individual (and Duke) is responsible for fulfilling the role AND the effort. When proposing effort to a sponsor, we should verify and confirm that the role and effort are reasonable and sustainable. Proposing effort levels that would be challenging to meet can put the personnel (and Duke) in a difficult situation and create unrealistic expectations putting us all at risk. Moreover, the assigned Senior/Key roles - along with corresponding effort levels - require management throughout the life of the project to ensure commitments are met.
3. Changes to the Senior and Key Personnel designations won’t happen with the click of a button. Senior and Key Personnel are maintained in project documentation and reported on throughout the life of the project. Depending on the sponsor's terms and conditions, changing this designation may require more than Duke approval. A sponsor may require prior written approval which means Duke's internal review and authorization of the request that explains the reason for the change, provides sufficient scientific justification to support the request, and adequate assurance that the change will not compromise the project work and outcomes.

There’s a lot to consider when designating and/or changing Senior or Key Personnel on a sponsored project. Having conversations to make expectations clear will help ensure everyone is on the same page and that Duke is compliant with sponsor requirements.

From Effort Management Project Steering Committee