Effort Certification

Our pre- and post-award administrators are available to assist and educate you as you work to certify your research faculty effort. At Pitt, we use the Electronic Effort Certification (ECC) system managed by the Office of Financial Compliance for Research.

In accordance with Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200), the ECC documents the personnel costs charged to federal awards, satisfying the requirement that these costs “be supported by a system of internal control which provides reasonable assurance that the charges are accurate, allowable, and properly allocated.” 

Full details on the ECC system, as well as user guides, training offerings and related policies and procedures can be found on the website of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.

When considering how you will certify effort, consider that effort is defined as the amount of time spent on particular University activities, including research, instruction, administration, service and clinical activities. University guidelines require that effort must be certified three times per year, roughly corresponding to the three academic terms.  

PIs must certify their effort in a timely manner and in accordance with the University’s internal deadlines. Failure to certify within the allotted time will result in all uncertified effort being transferred off of the applicable award accounts and onto departmental accounts

Our office will help you understand all facets of effort certification from requirements and policies to effort planning — such as summer salary projections — to the actual  certification process.