Electronic Certification of Effort and Reporting Tool (ECERT)

Please go to the link below for the current ECERT Certification Status Report. This report will be updated weekly.

Nov 18, 2024 - ECERT Certification Status Report

• Accessible via any Internet Connection 24/7
• Certifications are easy to track
• System interacts with PPS so you can drilldown to detailed payroll calculations (Distribution of Payroll Expense "DOPE" data.)
• Maintains historical information
• System became the "Office of Record"
• Improved accuracy and compliance
• Effort report status changes, if necessary, when a Direct Retro is processed via UCPath

• Effort Report Overview (PDF)
• Certifying Effort (PDF)
• Adding Sponsored Project (PDF)
• Enabling Multiple Certifiers (PDF)
• Effort Reporting Schedule (PDF)
• Department Security Administrators - ERS Authorization (PDF)

1. Access the ECERT system.
   • Go to ECERT.
   • Log in using your UCSD Active Directory.

   For issue with Active Directory account, please contact your Department Security Administrator (DSA) or ITS directly or contact the ITS Service Desk team via email at servicedesk@ucsd.edu or phone (858) 246-4357.

2. Display the desired saved search and select an effort report.
   • Click the down arrow at the top left of the screen and select the Managed Saved Searches page.
   • Find the saved search you want and click the View icon to see a list of effort reports for that search.
   • Click on the appropriate line to select the report.
3. View the 5 sections of the report.
   • Sponsored Projects: Employee received pay on these projects that require effort certification.
     • Effort calculations are displayed for each project.
     • For more information about a project, place your mouse pointer over the Project Name and see PI, Award Title, Fund Manager and Sponsor Award Number.
   • Other Sponsored Projects: Employee received pay on projects that do not require effort certification.
     • This section displays a cumulative effort calculation for all projects in this area.
   • Non-Sponsored Activities: Employee received pay on non-sponsored funding.
     • This section displays a cumulative effort calculation for all projects in this area.
   • Report options: Allows the user to specify whether different sponsored projects need to be certified by multiple people (such as more than one PI on different indexes).
   • Add a Comment: Area designated for users to input comments related to the effort report.
4. Explore the report's 6 columns.
   • Original Payroll %: Estimate of effort based on payroll distributions.
     • Percentages are systematically adjusted to reflect exceptions, such as the NIH Salary Cap.
   • Adjusted Payroll %: User can manually enter the effort percent dedicated to each activity.
   • Original Cost Sharing %: This column is not used by UCSD.
   • Adjusted Cost Sharing %: This column is not used by UCSD.
   • Original Total %: Estimated total effort % for each activity as generated by the ECERT system.
   • Adjusted Total %: This is the column being certified.
     • It reflects the amount in the Adjusted Payroll % column plus any amount in the Adjust Cost Sharing % column.
5. Check the Payroll Details.
   • To view the lines of payroll used to generate the estimate percentages in the Original Payroll % column, click the View Payroll Details button.
6. Navigate between 3 tabs.
   • Edit Report: Modify the current version of the report you're viewing.
   • View/ History: View previous version of the report.
   • Comment Log: View a compilation of previously saved comments.

1. Access the ECERT system.
   • Go to ECERT.
   • Log in using your UCSD Active Directory.

   For issue with Active Directory account, please contact your Department Security Administrator (DSA) or ITS directly or contact the ITS Service Desk team via email at servicedesk@ucsd.edu or phone (858) 246-4357.

2. Locate the effort report you want to certify.
   • Click the down arrow located at the top left of the screen, and choose the Manage Saved Searches option from the menu.
   • Select the desired search, then select the appropriate report.
3. If the effort report requires one certification, certify the entire report.
   • Review the values in the Adjusted Payroll % column, then:
     • If you agree that the values are a reasonable reflection of the percent of time the employee allocated to each activity, click Certify Effort Report.
     • If you do not agree with the values in the Adjusted Payroll % column, or if you have any questions about the effort report, contact your fund manager or effort report preparer for corrections. Do not click Certify Effort Report.
4. If the effort report requires multiple certifications, certify the project line(s) on the report.
   • Verify that the Report Requires Multiple Certifications checkbox is checked.
   • Review the values in the Adjusted Payroll % column, then:
     • If you agree that the value(s) are a reasonable reflection of the percent of time the employee allocated to your project activity:
       • Click the checkbox in the Line Certified column next to the appropriated Sponsored Project line(s).
       • Read the ERS Alert box, and click OK to certify.
       • Click Save.
     • If you do not agree with the value(s) in the Adjusted Payroll % column, or if you have any questions about the effort report, contact your fund manager or effort report preparer for corrections. Do not click any checkbox in the Line Certified column.
5. Certify the next effort report.
   • After you complete certifying one effort report, the system will automatically display the next effort report. You can now choose one of the following options:
     1. Certify this report.
     2. Return to the MyProjects list, and click on the next employee's effort report to review and certify.
6. Sign out of the ECERT system.
   • When you have completed your certifications, click Sign Out in the upper right corner of the screen.

PI and/or Fund Manager role changes to Effort Reports in the ECERT (Electronic Certification of Effort and Reporting Tool) system are currently not available.  Please add a note in the Effort Report for any current PI or Fund Manager role changes.  A new process is being generated and any updates will be provided campus wide.

1. Access the ECERT system.
   • Go to ECERT.
   • Log in using your UCSD Active Directory.

   For issue with Active Directory account, please contact your Department Security Administrator (DSA) or ITS directly or contact the ITS Service Desk team via email at servicedesk@ucsd.edu or phone (858) 246-4357.

2. Locate the effort report you want to edit.
   • See Searching effort reports section for help.
3. Adjust the payroll percentages.
   • If the values in the Original Payroll % column do not reasonably reflect the effort allocated to each activity, you can adjust the percentages.
     • Click in the corresponding box in the Adjusted Payroll % column.
     • Type the percentage you want, and click Update Calculation.
     • The Adjusted Total % column now reflects the new percentage.

   Note: If the adjusted total does not equal 100%, the "totals" display changes to red.

4. Associate a sponsored project to an employee.
   • If payroll was not set up correctly, you may need to manually associate a sponsored project to an employee. To do this:
     • Click Add Additional Sponsored Projects. The Add Additional Projects window will pop up with a list of all the federal sponsored projects at UCSD.
     • Type in your search criteria, using any part of the project ID, project title, or PI name.
     • Click Filter. The screen will refresh, and your search results will appear.
     • To sort the search results by Project ID, Project Title, or PI, click on the appropriate column header.
     • To see IFOP information on a particular project, click the magnifying glass next to the project ID.
     • Locate the desired sponsored project in the list, and click Select to add the project to the effort report.
5. Set the report to require multiple certifications.
   • If the effort report requires more than one person to certify:
     • Click in the checkbox next to Report requires multiple certifications in the Report Options section.
     • Click OK in the ERS Alert pop-up box
     • There is now a new column called Line Certified.
6. Enter a comment.
   • When you make modifications to an effort report, you must enter a comment explaining the reason for the change.
     • Type your comment in the box provided.
     • Since this comment can not be edited or deleted once it's saved, confirm that it's correct, then click Save.
     • If more information is needed at a later time, you can add an additional comment.

1. Access the ECERT system.
   • Go to ECERT.
   • Log in using your UCSD Active Directory.

   For issue with Active Directory account, please contact your Department Security Administrator (DSA) or ITS directly or contact the ITS Service Desk team via email at servicedesk@ucsd.edu or phone (858) 246-4357.

2. Navigate to the Search Effort Reports page.
   • Click the down arrow located at the top left of the screen and select the Search Effort Reports option.
3. Select the Display Reports tab to use as your search filter.
   • Click the tab that contains the filter you would like to use. The tabs filter by all or part of:
     • People
       • Person's name/ employee ID
       • Person's home department
       • Person is Principal Investigator (PI)
     • Departments
       • Home Department
       • Department name or number
     • Indexes
       • Index number
       • Index name
     • Awards
       • Fund manager employee ID
       • Award title
       • Sponsor award number
     • IFOP
       • Fund, Org, Index or Program
       • Fund title
4. Search effort reports.
   • Enter the filter criteria for the tab you selected.
   • Click Update Filter.
   • View the search results in the Filter Results List on the lower left side of the screen.
5. Save selected search results.
   • Click the appropriate result to transfer it to the Search Collection column on the right side of the screen.
     • Note: You may select multiple results.
   • Select Save As to name the search for future reference.

1. Access the ECERT system.
   • Go to ECERT.
   • Log in using your UCSD Active Directory.

   For issue with Active Directory account, please contact your Department Security Administrator (DSA) or ITS directly or contact the ITS Service Desk team via email at servicedesk@ucsd.edu or phone (858) 246-4357.

2. Navigate to the Manage Saved Search section.
   • Click the down arrow and choose the Manage Saved Search option.
3. Edit, share, or delete saved searches.
   • To modify the search criteria related to a saved search, click the Edit icon.
   • To share a saved search collection with colleagues, click the Share icon.
     • In the e-mail window, enter the recipients' e-mail addresses, and click Send.
     • The recipients receive an e-mail invitation to save your search to their the list of saved searches.
     • Once the recipients accept, the shared search will appear on their saved search list.
   • To delete a saved search, click the Delete icon.
4. View a saved search.
   • To view the list of effort reports collected in a saved search, click the View icon, or the name of the search.
   • You can tailor the search results by status.
     • Click the Show Status drop-down menu.
     • Choose the status you want to review from the list.
   • To tailor the search results by reporting period:
     • Check the Select radio button.
     • Click the Reporting Period drop-down menu.
     • Choose the reporting period you want to review from the list.
5. Subscribe to a "MyProjects" list.
   • On the Manage Saved Searches page, click the Subscribe button at the bottom left corner of the screen.
   • Find the PI you want by:
     • Entering the PI's name, employee ID, or department code in the appropriate search criteria field
     • Click Update Filter. Your search results will appear.
   • Click on the appropriate column header to sort the results by PI Name, Home Department, or Home Department Code.
   • Navigate through the search results by using the buttons at the bottom of the displayed results.
   • Locate the PI whose list of MyProjects you want to view, and click Subscribe. That PI's MyProjects list will display in your saved searches list until you choose to delete it.
6. Establish a default ECERT screen.
   • You can establish or change the default page that opens when you log in to ECERT by:
     • Going to the Manage Saved Searches page.
     • Clicking the radio button next to one of these options:
       • Display my default search as defined above opens with the particular search you mark as the default on the searches listed.
       • Display the Edit Search page opens on the Editing Search page.
       • Display the Manage Saved Searches opens to the list of saved searches.
       • Display the search results from my last session opens to the search you were viewing when you closed your last session.

• Access the ECERT system.
  • Go to ECERT.
  • Log in using your UCSD Active Directory.

  For issue with Active Directory account, please contact your Department Security Administrator (DSA) or ITS directly or contact the ITS Service Desk team via email at servicedesk@ucsd.edu or phone (858) 246-4357.

• Navigate through the sections.
  • Click the down arrow at the top left of the screen to access these sections:
    • Effort Report List: Includes all effort reports that meet a specific search criteria.
    • Manage Saved Searches: Edit previously saved searches, subscribe to a default "MyProjects" search for a particular Principal Investigator (PI).
    • Search Effort Reports: Group effort reports by specific search criteria (e.g. home department, employee ID, index number), and save the grouping for future reference.
• Navigate through search results.
  • Use the navigation arrows at the top and bottom of the displayed results to navigate through search results in the Effort Report List and Search Effort Reports sections.
• Choose how many search results to display.
  • Use the drop-down box at the lower left of the search results to select the number of results to display per page.
• Use the on-screen help.
  • For assistance with the page you're viewing, click the Help icon in the menu bar.
  • From the pop-up screen, select the topic you need help with.
  • When you've finished with the help screen, click Close. The ECERT program remains open.
• Sign out.
  • Click the Sign-Out link in the toolbar to log out of the ECERT system.

ECERT OFC Hours
Schedule for November and December 2024 

                   Nov 6, 2025 Wednesdays @ 2:30p

                   Nov 20, 2024 Wednesdays @ 2:30

                   Dec 3, 2024 Wednesdays @ 2:30p

                   Dec 18, 2024 Wednesdays @ 2:30p

ECERT OFC Schedule will be held once a month beginning January 8, 2025 and every first Wednesday of the month.                   

                   ECERT OFC Hours 2025

Training Resources               

• ECERT Training (PDF)

• ECERT Training Videos

• ECERT PI Training Video

• Additional ECERT Training Video (October 18, 2023)

• Sponsored Projects Finance (SPF) partners with campus Departments/ORUs to facilitate Effort Reporting Best Practices & Process Improvements to help ensure timeliness and accuracy during the quarterly certification process of employees paid through federal or federal flow through research awards.  We assist the campus by:
  • UCSD Cost Transfer and ECERT Focus Group Meetings.
  • Customized training for each department/ORU by the ECERT team.
  • Speaking at faculty and business meetings.

• Please login to the  Business & Finance Services & Support portal, select Related to: Post Award Financial

For questions that can't be answered by your department's ECERT Coordinator, contact Business & Finance Services & Support portal, select Related to: Post Award Financial.

• Add additional employees to the database
• Edit the Cannot Certify list
• Update the employee PI indicator
• Update effort report status
• Please contact your Department's DSA/ECERT User Administrator to create permission and roles

UCPath Data issues affecting Effort Reports

• If the UCPath data is correct on the Effort Report, but the effort report looks has some percentage discrepancies (e.g. due to reverse mapping issue), an adjustment directly to effort reports is needed.  See KBA KB0032676
• If Effort Reports are incorrect due to UCPath funding entries for May/June:
  • Submit a Salary Cost Transfer with PPS Data form via Services and Support tickets to correct the Project and task #’s
  • Department will need to adjust the Effort Report to reflect percent of change requested on the Salary Cost Transfer form
  • Departments need to ensure that funding entries are correct for going forward
• If there are any unrecognized earnings on the Effort Report:
  •  Submit a Service and Support ticket with the following information-
    • PI NAME
    • PI EID
    • PROJECT TITLE
    • OFC PROJECT NUMBER
    • TASK #

SPF will work with UCOP to correct the chartstring on the Effort Report and will update the ticket