PIs are responsible for certifying their own effort annually on a federally funded sponsored award.[1].  In addition, PIs must certify quarterly any non-faculty charging salary/effort to a federally-funded project (or a non-federal project requiring effort certification).  There are circumstances when it may be appropriate for the PI to delegate the quarterly effort responsibility to another individual associated with the project but would require school approval via the Request for Delegation of Authority for Quarterly Project Effort Certifications.  The delegate must have sufficient technical knowledge and/or is in a position that provides for suitable means of verification that the work was performed.  In addition, the PI and delegate must:

• Have direct knowledge of how research staff spent their time and have suitable means to verify how staff spent their time;
• Understand their own as well as their research team members’ levels of effort committed, charged, and reported on all applicable awards;
• Review, initiate corrections if necessary, and electronically certify their individual Annual Faculty Effort Certification and their Quarterly Project Effort Certification(s) by the deadline;
• Communicate significant effort changes to the department/local effort coordinators;
• Review salary charges on awards on a routine basis with department/local administrator, identify any effort-related changes, and coordinate the posting of corrections if needed; and
• Recertify and electronically sign if effort changes are made after a statement has been certified.