This appointment is made to enable the individual to continue his or her research under the general supervision of one or more Harvard faculty members. Designated supervisors will ordinarily hold the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, Senior Research Fellow, Rowland Institute Research Fellow, or John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellow. (Source: FAS Appointment and Promotion Handbook).
Postdoctoral fellows may not be designated as “principal investigator” or “project director” without the explicit approval of the appropriate Dean (Divisional Deans in the FAS Divisions of Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences; Dean of the John A. Paulson SEAS; etc.). The department chair or center director can submit such requests using the PI Rights Questionnaire, and the justification must be compelling.
Research Associates
This appointment is made to secure the paid professional services of an individual in support of research projects directed by one or more faculty members. Individuals receiving this appointment will possess a doctoral degree at the time of appointment and ordinarily will have had at least three years of postdoctoral experience.
Research associates may be designated as co-principal investigator on projects on which they play a major role and on which another individual with PI privileges serves as principal investigator. In addition, they may be designated as “principal investigator” or “project director” with the explicit approval of the appropriate Dean (Divisional Deans in the FAS Divisions of Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences; Dean of the John A. Paulson SEAS; etc.). The department chair or center director can submit such requests using the PI Rights Questionnaire, and the justification must be compelling.