Sponsored Research Projects
As defined in the Research Grants and Contracts Definition Policy, "Sponsored Research Project" is a specific research, training, service, or similar activity for which funding is provided by an external sponsor under an agreement with the University. Proposals meeting any of the following criteria are treated as a Sponsored Research Project and must be reviewed and endorsed by OCRO before submission to a sponsor.

The award requires a line-item financial report to the grantor/sponsor at any time during the life of the project.
The award has a cost-sharing component (University, school, or department matching funds).
The award is one of several to a project for which there is a project-wide financial reporting requirement (i.e., any of the granting/sponsoring entities require a financial report for the entire project).
The grantor/sponsor controls the scope of the project and/or requires scientific or technical reporting of specific milestones as a condition of the grant/award.
The award includes funds that will be re-granted or subcontracted by the University to non-GW entities.
The award includes indirect costs recoveries.
The award involves an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) agreement that places GW personnel on assignment to a Federal agency.
The grantor/sponsor states in its award letter that it maintains the right to perform a detailed financial audit of the award expenditures.
The proposal indicates a conflict of interest;
The proposal contains the use of animals, human subjects, or hazardous agents requiring the review of OHRCTT;
There are conditional obligations of the funding indicated in the award document or solicitation (e.g., time and effort, space, budget restrictions, return of unused funds, contingent payments, employment requirements);
The award or solicitation contains intellectual property provisions, indemnification, hold harmless, provisions containing restrictions on publication of research results and other contractual provisions that place risk on the University.

PI Eligibility
A regular or research faculty member, Research Scientist, Senior Research Scientist, or Senior Research Staff Scientist may serve as "Principal Investigator" on an award. For those drawn from the "research" professor ranks, it is usually spelled out in the appointment letter that such appointees must raise funds for their salary from external sources, or such. Otherwise, GW does not permit Limited Service appointees to serve as Principal Investigators and one does not simply change someone's status for this purpose. The same categories of personnel eligible to serve as Principal Investigator may serve as a "Project Director" (PD). The PD term is sometimes used to describe the Principal Investigator; more often, the PD is the next person in charge of a program. The University looks to the Principal Investigator as the individual with the primary responsibility over the Project.