Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
1) Where can I find the effort report?
2) Does the effort report reflect/show dollar amounts?
3) Does my total percentage of effort need to be 100%?
4) How do I revise the percentages on an effort report?
5) What earnings codes are associated with the percentages listed on the effort reports?
Training
Pre-Reviewers (Department Administrators) and Post-Reviewers (Principal Investigators)
9) What is it that I am pre-reviewing, certifying, or reviewing in an effort report?
General Questions
1) Where can I find the effort report?
The effort reports are available in Banner Self Service. The link to the Effort Certification module can be found in the Banner Self Service -> Employee Tab -> Employee Dashboard. Click here to go to Banner Self Service.
2) Does the effort report reflect/show dollar amounts?
No, the effort report converts salary and wages paid on sponsored project and non-sponsored funds into a percentage. The Pay Period Summary tab breaks down the percentages for a specific pay period as well as for the entire effort reporting period, but it will not show the actual dollar amounts associated with the percentages.
3) Does my total percentage of effort need to be 100%?
Yes, the total percentage of effort, including non-sponsored funding sources, must equal 100%.
4) How do I revise the percentages on an effort report?
In order to change percentages on effort reports, you must follow the normal procedures to adjust payroll distributions on your sponsored project. A principal investigator or department administrator should contact the Office of Sponsored Programs Grants and Contracts (Post-Award) team and follow standard operating procedures to make an adjustment on a sponsored project.
Our office recommends changing any percentage on an effort report if the revised percentage is greater than +/-3%.
Example #1: 25% on effort report, but should be 20%. Change is required.
Example #2: 18% on effort report, but should be 20%. No change is required.
5) What earnings codes are associated with the percentages listed on the effort reports?
Banner earnings codes used in the creation of the effort reports are related to an individual's Institutional Base Salary (IBS). IBS is the guaranteed annual salary or wages related to your position at Rowan University.
An example of a typical earnings code used to create the percentages is 010 - Regular Bi-Weekly Pay. An example of an earnings code that may not used in the creation of the percentages listed in the effort report and not part of an individual's IBS is earnings code 605 - Bonus Payment.
6) When I click on the links Employee Dashboard, Effort Certification or other links in the Effort Certification module, I get a blank screen. Is this right? Do I need to do something else?
Yes, refresh the webpage to see if that brings up the links and images. It is recommended to use Chrome as the browser when certifying and reviewing effort reports, but it is not a requirement. The Effort Certification module should work with any internet browser.
Training
7) I am new to the effort certification review and approval process. Is there training or other presentation that is available to me?
Yes, there are available training videos and guides that can be used to assist a PI, individual, or department administrator on how to use the effort certification system.
At this time, virtual, instructor-led training can be scheduled upon request. This training can be at the college, school, department, division or sponsored project level. Requests for training should be sent to Effort Certification Administration.
8) In the training videos, it mentions to follow up with the Division of University Research regarding the schedule my department/sponsored project is on. What schedule does my department/sponsored project need to follow?
The schedule in the training videos is an informal schedule. In some instances a department/sponsored project may deviate from the schedule.
Please note that regardless of what schedule either your school, college, division, department, office, or institute follows; undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, as well as research/teaching assistants should never be told or required to certify or review any effort report, even if the effort report is in their name.
| Schedule | Schedule Definition | Applicable Campus/Department |
| Post-Reviewer (PI) Only | PI is required to certify and review any and all effort reports associated with their sponsored projects | Glassboro/Camden |
| Pre-Reviewer (Department Administrator), Certifier, and Post-Reviewer (PI) | Pre-Reviewer (Department Administrator) is required to complete pre-review of effort report. Individual named in the effort report is required to certify. Post-Reviewer (PI) is required to complete review of effort report | CARES at RowanSOM |
| Pre-Reviewer (Department Administrator) and Post-Reviewer (PI) | Pre-Reviewer (Department Administrator) is required to complete pre-review of effort report. Post-Reviewer (PI) is required to complete review of effort report | Stratford Campus / CMSRU |
Pre-Reviewers (Department Administrators) and Post-Reviewers (Principal Investigators)
9) What is it that I am pre-reviewing, certifying, or reviewing in an effort report?
As a pre-reviewer, certifier, or post-reviewer, you are validating two (2) important aspects of an effort report. The following two questions should be part of your thought process when pre-reviewing, certifying, or reviewing effort reports:
A) Did this individual/I work on the sponsored project?
B) Does the percentage appear to be a reasonable estimate of the work performed on the sponsored project?
If you answered yes to both A and B above, then you would complete your pre-review, certification, and/or review.
If you answered no to either A and B above, then you would further investigate the effort report and sponsored project. The first thing to do is review the pay period summary tab in the effort report, and if after that review, your answer is still no, then that should lead to a more in depth review of the payroll expenditures related to the sponsored project and contact/meeting with department administrators and/or OSP Post-Award/Grant Analysts. Effort certification can also be consulted regarding questions about the effort reports and information contained in the effort reports.
10) I received an email indicating that an effort report is available for certification and review. Does that apply to me? Is there a process to create an account in order to complete the effort certification and review process?
Yes, if you received an email, then effort certification would apply to you. In some instances, an email could have been sent in error. If that happens, contact effort certification administation.
Access requirements are granted automatically for individuals receiving remuneration from a federal or state sponsored project.
Department Administrators (Pre-Reviewers) and Principal Investigators (Post-Reviewers) should be identified in the Banner Admin grant record set-up process. Based on the grant set-up, appropriate access and functionality in the effort certification system is automatically granted.
If you log into Banner Self Service and cannot locate your own or an individuals' effort report, please contact Effort Certification Administration.
11) I followed the instructions and used the Advanced Search function to bring up individuals paid and receiving remuneration from my sponsored project(s), but a listing of names do not appear. Is there something I am doing wrong?
Try the following troubleshooting items below. If they do not work, then contact Effort Certification Administration.
Troubleshoot Step #1 - Click on the "Review or Certify Reports" button/icon. Click on the Advanced Search and then select the option "Chart of Account Code". In the text box, make sure to select "R". Then click on the "Go" button. If the reports do not show up then try step #2
Troubleshoot Step #2 - Change browser to Google Chrome or other internet browser and open up the effort certification self service module and complete the steps in step #1 above. If you get a message to plug-in or update Adobe, JAVA, or Acrobat, then follow the directions to complete that task.
12) There are mulitple grants and Post-Reviewers (Principal Investigators) on an individual's effort report. Some of the grants listed on the effort report are not mine. Do I certify and review the report first before the other PI's?
Yes, whether you are a Department Administrator or Principal Investigator (PI), you will need to certify and review an effort report that lists multiple sponsored projects and unrestricted funding sources.
Reviewing or certifying an effort report before the other PIs or Department Administrators does not remove the responsibility of the second PI or Department Administrator, and your review and certification is related to the sponsored project where you are the PI or have been granted administrative duties related to the performance and supervision of that sponsored project(s).
The effort certification system does not have a mandatory order for reviewing and certifying effort reports, so a PI or department administrator can work with the other department(s), office(s) or other PI(s) to informally determine who should certify and review first.
13) I am not a Principal Investigator (PI) on a grant/sponsored project, and a PI wants to assign me as a Proxy to complete the review and certify the reports. Is that allowed?
Yes, but only after a request form is completed and submitted to Effort Certification Administration. Please contact Effort Certification administration to learn more about the Proxy process and obtain instructions how to become assigned a Proxy for a PI.
14) I am a 10 month faculty employee, and I will work 100% on my federally sponsored project(s) during the summer. Is there anything I need to do?
Yes, there are limitations to what salary or remuneration can be charged for work outside of your normal employment/academic year appointment. Federal regulations dictate that any work charged to a federally sponsored project outside a faculty member's appointment timeframe must be charged at the faculty's Institutional Base Salary (IBS) rate, related to their appointment.
Limitations of summer salary include:
- Salary or wages reimbursed by the grant/sponsored project in the summer cannot exceed the individuals IBS monthly rate received during their period of appointment/employment. For example, if you receive $4,000 a month in salary during the acadmic year, then the maximum amount that can be charged to the grant per month outside of your normal appointment/employment is $4,000.
- If you will work on your grant outside of your normal appointment/employment timeframe and charge your full monthly IBS rate you would receive during your academic period appointment/employment, then you cannot take vacation during that time.
Any faculty member on a 10 month appointment that proposes to work on a sponsored project(s) during the summer (July and August) and charge 100% of their IBS, then the Principal Investigator (PI) should notify their respective Deparatment Chair/Head, Associate Dean or Dean that the PI will work two full months on the sponsored project(s). The 10-Month Faculty Summer Salary Approval form can be found on the Office of Sponsored Programs Forms and Templates webpage. The PI must retain the signed approval form in their sponsored project record. It is also recommended as a prudent and best practice to forward that letter to effort certification administration for retention in effort certification files.
15) Why am I certifying and reviewing effort reports when I was or staff and faculty were paid via a cost share fund? Why is my voluntary, non-mandatory cost share not reflected in the effort report? Why can't I change my effort report to reflect the voluntary, non-mandatory cost share?
When involuntary, mandated cost share is required by the sponsor or cost share is included in the budget of an award, then that portion of that cost share is subject to effort certification.
When an institution is awarded a sponsored project, the sponsor expects the project's financial and technical work will be managed and in-line with the goals and performance standards of the sponsored project. In that capacity, involuntary mandatory cost share is important to achieve the goals and performance standards of the sponsored project, so PI's must certify and review cost share effort.
Any in-kind or other cost share that is voluntary, not mandatory or not part of the award would be captured in the non-sponsored programs section of the effort report. Those commitments and any subsequent costs or effort should be managed at the college, school, department, division, or office level to ensure proper financial management and oversight.
Title 2 - Grants and Agreements; Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards; Subpart D - Post Federal Award Requirements; Section 200.306 Cost sharing or matching.
16) I have an NIH or other DHHS agency funded grant where there is a salary cap and/or I proposed additional effort that is voluntary, not mandatory, so why is it I cannot find/locate the additional effort above and beyond the salary cap or the additional voluntary effort in the effort reports?
Pertaining to federal regulations, cost share that is accepted as part of a non-federal entity's cost sharing or matching has to meet all seven criteria. One of those criteria is that the cost sharing or matching is approved in the budget when required by the federal awarding agency.
In that context and pertaining to the regulation, amounts over a salary cap and any voluntary, non-mandatory cost share would be captured in the non-sponsored section of an effort report. Further breakdown of the portion of institutional funding that is associated with the voluntary cost share is at the school, college, department, center or office level to ensure proper financial management and oversight.
17) Students received salary and wages from my state or federal sponsored project for work performed. Are students required to certify their own effort report?
No, students should not certify their effort reports, and this includes Graduate Assistants as well. The Principal Investigator should certify and review any student effort report associated with their sponsored project.