Effort Certification and Reporting
Technology (ECRT)
Faculty Presentation
Chris G. Green, CPA
Director, Sponsored Programs
Topics
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What is ECRT?
Why ECRT?
What has Changed from the old system?
The ECRT Process.
How to access ECRT.
How to certify you effort.
How to certify the effort of your Support Staff.
What is ECRT?
The ECRT (Effort Certification and Reporting Technology)
system is a on-line effort certification system that supports
the requirements of the federal government and The
University of Texas System (UT System).
Why ECRT?
To help eliminate compliance risks and to bring system
wide uniformity, The UT System has required that each
health component use ECRT for its Effort Certification
system.
UT System Policy 163, Guidance on Effort Reporting and
Certification requires Primary Individuals to certify Effort
Certifications for all Supporting Individuals who have
expended effort on his/her Sponsored Programs.
What Has Changed?
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Effort Report is now called Effort Card in ECRT.
Departmental Effort Coordinator's can access ECRT at any time.
Exempt and Non-Exempt Support Staff will no longer self-certify.
Faculty/PI will certify for themselves online.
Faculty/PI will also certify for Support Staff paid on their sponsored
projects.
• After certification by the Faculty/PI, departmental Primary Effort
Coordinator must process effort card. The effort card can be sent back to
the Faculty/PI for updates/edits if necessary.
The ECRT Process
• Monthly payroll data is loaded into ECRT on the 1st day of
each month.
• Commitments are loaded into ECRT at the end of the
Certification Period.
• Review Period for Department Effort Coordinators (15 days).
Department Effort Coordinators will verify payroll and make
any necessary updates to the effort card.
• Certification Period (30 days). Faculty will certify their effort
and that of their Support Staff. In addition, the Primary
Departmental Effort Coordinator will process all certified
effort cards.
ECRT Access
ECRT Login Screens
To enter the ECRT
system, please go to the
Time and Effort
Certification section of
the OSP website
(http://research.uthscsa.
edu/osp/effort.shtml).
Or
The direct link is:
https://uthsa-ecrt.utsys
tem.edu/ecrt/redirect
Login.do?ecrtAction=init
ECRT Login Screens
Since the ECRT
system is
Shibbolethenabled, the
UT System
login page will
be displayed.
Make sure to
always use the
drop down to
select our
institution.
ECRT Login Screens
Enter your
UTHSCSA
domain
“username”
and
“password” to
log in.
ECRT Welcome Screen
Click here to
enter ECRT
ECRT Home Page
Certifying your Effort
Certifying your Effort
Start the effort
certification process
by clicking on the link
“Certify/ View My
Effort”.
Certifying your Effort
The effort card will be
displayed.
The sponsored activity
projects appears in the top
part of the card and the
non-sponsored activity
projects appear in the
bottom part of the card.
Faculty/PI reviews and if
necessary makes updates to
the “Certified Effort”
column based the worked
they performed during the
performance period.
Certifying your Effort
Once the “Certified
Effort” column has been
reviewed/updated, you
must click each
individual Certification
checkbox for each
project line or click the
“All” link followed by
clicking the “Certify”
button.
Please note that if you
update the “Certified
Effort” column, a whole
number must be
entered.
In addition, you will
receive an error message
if the total certified
effort in the “Certified
Effort” column is either
greater then or less than
100%.
Certifying your Effort
The Certification
Attestation Effort page
will be displayed. Click
the “I Agree” button
under the attestation
message.
Once the “I Agree”
button is pushed, a
pop-up message will be
displayed letting you
know you will be sent
back to the Home page:
The effort card is sent
on to the
Departmental EC for
processing.
Certifying Effort for your
Support Staff
Certifying your Support Staff
All Faculty/PI’s also
have the
responsibility of
certifying the effort of
Support Staff that
were paid from their
sponsored projects.
To certify Support
Staff select the
“Certify My Support
Staff – Group View”
link.
Certifying your Support Staff
This page will display
the Support Staff that
have been paid on your
projects.
This page displays 10
Support Staff effort
cards at a time. If you
have more than 10
Support Staff, they will
be shown on additional
pages.
Certifying your Support Staff
You are only able to
certify for projects for
which you are listed as
the PI.
Projects that are
shaded in the color
blue must be certified
by the PI of that
project.
There is an indication at
the bottom of each
effort card that states
whether multiple PI’s
are associated with
each Support Staff or
whether you are the
only PI that must
certify.
Certifying your Support Staff
You can review project
details by clicking the
project link.
Certifying your Support Staff
Project Details will be
displayed.
Certifying your Support Staff
Review and only if
necessary update the
“Certified Effort” column
for each Support Staff you
would like to certify and
mark the “Certified
Checkbox”. Only Support
Staff whose checkboxes
are marked will be
certified.
IMPORTANT: If Project
Details are reviewed
after any Certification
Checkboxes have been
check, the checks will
clear once the Support
Staff page is reloaded.
As such, please review all
Project Details before
clicking any “Certified
Checkboxes”.
If you are ready to
complete the
certifications, click the
“Certify All” button.
Certifying your Support Staff
Click the “OK” button.
Certifying your Support Staff
You will be return to
the Certify Group View
Page. If you have
additional Support Staff
to certify, they will be
displayed. If all
Support Staff have
been certified, it will
indicate that no
certifications need to
be completed.
Logout
You can now logout of
the system.
Questions or Assistance?
• OSP Effort Certification website:
http://research.uthscsa.edu/osp/effort.shtml
• Contact Valerie Hutchison in OSP at 567-1652 or via
email at hutchisonv@uthscsa.edu.