Effort certification is a specific type of university record keeping required by federal sponsors.

PIs/PDs are required to certify their own effort periodically in writing to indicate that their salary charges to their sponsored projects are reasonable in relation to the effort they expended on the projects. The certifications are subject to audit, and can result in disallowed costs or significant civil and criminal financial penalties if found by auditors to be fraudulent.

Others receiving salary or wages from the PI’s/PD’s sponsored project are similarly required to certify their effort, and are subject to the same scrutiny as is the PI/PD.

For further information, see UNH’s policy on Effort Certification.