Frequently Asked Questions
What is effort certification?
Effort certification is the method by which the University assures the federal government and other research sponsors that they are charged only the appropriate labor expenses and that faculty and staff have met their commitments to sponsored projects
Why is effort certification important?
Effort certification is required by some research sponsors, especially the federal government. Failure to certify effort correctly and in a timely manner could be viewed as fraud and result in sanctions and/or charges against both the institution and the individual.
Do I need to certify my effort?
- If any of your salary is charged directly to a sponsored project, you must have your effort certified
- If none of your salary is charged to a sponsored project, but you have effort/time committed to a sponsored project, you must certify your effort
- All principal investigators (PIs) must certify their effort and the effort of any graduate students, postdoctoral trainees and non-PI researchers
How do I certify my effort?
This is a two-step process:
- Complete a mandatory training course on “Effort Certification and Time Reporting.” This can be done on-line or it can be in-person training. Please see www.utdallas.edu/research/ecrt for a list of upcoming training or www.utdallas.edu/ecrt/training for the online course.
- Log into ECRT (ecrt.utdallas.edu) during the certification period (semiannual for faculty, academic staff, graduate student and postdoctoral trainees/quarterly for classified staff).
Where can I go for help?
- For questions about the ECRT program, contact Beth Keithly in the Office of Research at Keithly@utdallas.edu or 972-883-4568
- For questions about your sponsored projects, contact your Grants & Contract specialist in the Office of Research or your school’s fiscal officer.
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Updated: April 13, 2009
