Effort Reporting

Overview

Effort Reporting is a process mandated by the federal government to verify that direct labor charges to, or cost shared on sponsored projects are accurate, timely, and reflect the actual level of work performed. Effort represents portions of time spent on a project expressed in percentages of total activity. 

The Office of Management and Budget Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards referred to as “UG” describes the requirements for certifying the effort of employees who are paid from sponsored projects (CFR §200.430).

The University requires that effort reports be certified two times per year using an “after the fact” method. It is important that the department effort coordinators, Principal Investigators, and other research personnel follow the University effort reporting procedures and guidelines to ensure timely approval.
 

UMD Effort Certification Procedure: Click Here

UMD Effort Certification Training guide for Manager & Reviewers: Click here

UMD Effort Certification Training guide for Principal Investigator or Employee-as-Self: Click here

 

Effort Reporting Schedule

Effort Certification Period	Effort Report Run Date	Payroll Accounting Adjustments	Effort Reporting Approval Begins	Effort Report Due Date
07/01/2025 – 12/31/2025	01/01/2026 – 01/29/2026	01/30/2026 – 02/05/2026	02/06/2026	03/09/2026
01/01/2026 – 06/30/2026	07/01/2026 – 07/30/2026	07/31/2026 – 08/06/2026	08/07/2026	09/06/2026

 

Updated Feb 24, 2026