The PIQ programme supports a Principal Investigator (PI) leading a project and funds a single institution. The project leader’s commitment, motivation and ability to operate an exploratory and agile approach are key elements of the programme. Collaborative projects may also be organised on the basis of several PIQ projects referencing each other, whose applications will be assessed jointly.

The project leader is expected to dedicate a significant portion of their time and research activity to their PIQ project. Furthermore, this involvement should not be limited primarily to supervision or facilitation, but the project leader is expected to actively and mostly participate in all research areas and research activities that constitute the project.

The commitment and motivation of the project leader are among the criteria assessed during the selection process, and project leaders are asked to devote a certain amount of time to the project. The programme does not define a threshold, but the significance of this commitment is assessed in terms of:

• consistency with the work to be carried out in the project, in terms of research and supervision;
• other commitments made by the project leader to other research projects;
• the project leader’s availability, bearing in mind any teaching work or other responsibilities.