Effort Certification Information

Welcome to the updated effort certification process at the University of Northern Colorado! To keep in line with federal regulations, our Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) has refined our approach. We’re here to help you document and certify that the effort funded externally is accurately recorded. This updated process occurs three times a year. 

Effort Certification Procedure 

At UNC, we adhere to the Office of Management and Budget Circular Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (“Uniform Guidance”). The Uniform Guidance Subpart E 200.430 details the federal requirements for certifying time on sponsored projects. To meet these requirements, we use the Banner Effort Certification module, accessible via Banner 9 Self-Service. 

Who Needs to Certify? 

All individuals identified as “Covered Employees” are required to follow these effort certification procedures. 

Certification Timeline 

• Certification Period: June 17th - July 31st 
• Post Review Period: August 1st - August 31st 

Steps to Certify for Researchers 

 Pre-Reviewer Steps 

• Log into Self Service Banner. 
• Navigate to the “Employee” tab and select “Employee Dashboard” 
• Click on "Effort Certification." 
• Review your effort report. 
• If correct, certify by clicking the appropriate buttons. 
• If incorrect, follow the instructions to request changes. 

 Post Review Phase 

 Supervisors and Principal Investigators (PI’s) will review the certified effort reports. Any adjustments to locked reports after this phase may be subject to cost transfer rules and policies. 

Steps for Review Team 

• Log into Self Service Banner. 

• Navigate to the "Employee" tab and select "Employee Dashboard." 

• Click on "Effort Certification." 

• Review certified effort reports. 

• If corrections are needed, follow the instructions to request changes. 

 FAQ’s: 

• What is Effort Certification?
  • Effort certification confirms that the time you spent on projects matches the compensation from grant funds. 

• Who are "Covered Employees"?
  • Covered Employees are those whose salaries are funded by external grants and need to certify their effort for federal compliance. 

• How will I be notified to certify my effort?
  • You’ll get an email notification each month if your salary is charged to a grant, prompting you to log into Banner 9 Self-Service to certify your effort. 

• What if I need to make changes to my effort report?
  • If your effort report is incorrect, follow the instructions in the notification email or on the effort certification page to request changes. 

Contact Us 

Please make sure your effort reports are completed and submitted on time. If you have any questions or need help, email us at orsp.post-award@unco.edu.