System Roles

Effort Reporting Coordinator (ERC)

The Effort Reporting Coordinator (or ERC) is the department’s representative for coordinating the effort report certification process.

Authorized Activities

  • Access ERS
  • Receive notification from CGA
  • Announces availability of reports to Unit
  • Track completion of certification
  • Follow-up on incomplete or late effort reports
  • Serve as subject matter expert for Unit’s Reviewers, Self-Certifiers, PIs, and Other Designated Certifiers
  • Point of contact for CGA
  • Cannot edit or certify reports
Decorative separator line

Reviewer

The Reviewer is the department’s post-award administrator, and is often the Fund Manager and/or Research Administrator.

  • A back-up for this role is required
  • ERS Reviewer’s responsibilities differ from BFS Reviewer’s role

Authorized Activities

  • Access ERS - Unit Manager determines level of access (L4 or L5)
  • Review effort reports before or after certification
  • Edit effort reports (only before report is certified)
  • Add comments
  • Coordinates any necessary payroll expense transfers
  • Cannot certify reports
Decorative separator line

Viewer

The Viewer is the Unit personnel who require access to view reports, and is often the MSO or Financial Manager.

  • This role is optional
  • This role is also available to auditors

Authorized Activities

  • Access ERS (optional access to payroll detail)
  • Receive notification from CGA
  • View effort reports before or after certification
  • Cannot edit or certify reports
Decorative separator line

Certifier

Primary Principal Investigators (PIs), as designated in BFS, are automatically designated as 'Certifier' for his/her report and that of his/her staff paid on his/her fund(s). If the PI has first-hand knowledge of the work performed by his/her staff, the PI should certify reports.

Self-Certifiers automatically have access to his/her own report. Self-Certifiers should only certify his/her own report if he/she has first-hand knowledge of work performed and the benefiting federally sponsored project(s).

Other Designated Certifiers require special access privileges by CGA. Other Designated Certifiers are individuals other than the PI and Self-Certifiers who have first hand knowledge of work performed and the benefiting federally sponsored project(s) (for example, a lab manager).

The Department's business practice of certification should be documented, maintained on file, and available to auditors upon request.

Authorized Activities

  • Access ERS
  • Review effort reports before or after certification
  • Edit effort reports
  • Add comments
  • Certify effort reports
Decorative separator line

ERS Oversight Roles and Responsibilities

Contracts and Grants Accounting (CGA)

  • Establish campuswide effort reporting roles, responsibilities and certification process
  • Provide ERS training and support
  • Monitor the effort reporting process and track completion of certification
  • Follow up with department faculty and staff on incomplete or late effort reports

Internal Audit

  • Monitor and review the effort reporting process for compliance with campus, university and federal policies and regulations

Deans/Chairs/Directors

  • Ensure departments’ compliance with effort reporting regulations
  • Follow up on non-compliance issues and impose consequences, if necessary

VC Research/EVCP

  • Ensure campuswide compliance with effort reporting regulations
  • Follow-up on non-compliance issues and impose consequences, if necessary