Effort Reporting System
All effort reports are now being processed electronically using the web-based effort reporting system (ERS). With Spring 2022 semester effort reports, eleven departments and one college participated in a system pilot program. Previously, effort reports were processed as paper Personnel Activity Reports.
The web-based effort reporting system is used to certify that salaries charged, or cost shared to sponsored awards, reasonably reflect the individual’s share of total effort dedicated to the sponsored project(s).
The university issued a policy about effort reporting in 2003. The purpose of this policy is to document university requirements for ensuring that salaries charged to sponsored awards are based on the records that reasonably reflect the work performed; effort is certified by authorized personnel accurately and timely; and effort certifications comply with sponsor requirements and federal regulations. The policy was updated Oct. 10, 2022.
Fall 2022 Effort Reporting System Schedule
| Activities | Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Effort forms released to departments | Feb. 15, 2023 |
| Window for department staff to review effort forms | Feb. 15 - Mar. 10, 2023 |
| Global Release of forms to all certifiers not already released by the department staff | Mar. 13, 2023 |
| Window for faculty/staff to certify the effort forms | Feb. 15 - Apr. 7, 2023 |
| Delinquent emails sent automatically by the system | Apr. 10, 2023 |
| Window to complete revised effort reports (forms that require Labor Redistributions | Apr. 10 - Apr. 28, 2023 |
| Escalation to Department Heads and Deans | May 1, 2023 |
| Final Deadline for all effort reports to be completed | May 10, 2023 |
| Activities | Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Effort forms released to departments | Oct. 17, 2023 |
| Training department staff | Weeks of October 17, 24 and 31 |
| Window for department staff to review effort forms | Oct. 17 – Nov. 25, 2023 |
| Global Release of forms to all certifiers not already released by department staff | Nov. 28, 2023 |
| Deadline for completed effort forms | Dec. 16, 2023 |
| Review of forms by OSP | During the month of Dec. |
| Delinquent emails sent automatically by system | Dec. 17 until completed |
Contact
If you have further questions regarding the Effort Reporting System, please reach out to ERS@vt.edu.