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Effort Reporting System (ERS)

Upcoming Sunset of the Effort Reporting System (ERS)

In an effort to modernize the University of California’s effort reporting systems, UC Merced has partnered with the UC Office of the President to begin planning for the retirement of the Effort Reporting System (ERS) and for the parallel launch of the new Employee Compensation Compliance (ECC) system. This initiative will result in a more streamlined effort reporting experience for our Principal Investigators and Central Office staff. The Spring 2026 efforting reporting period will be the last reporting period managed in ERS and ERS will be sunset on 5/28/2027.

What Principal Investigators need to know:

The Spring 2026 effort reporting period will be the last reporting period managed in ERS.
The Summer 2026 effort reporting period will be the first reporting period in ECC and will begin accepting effort certifications in September 2026.
ECC system training and other reference material will be made available in late Summer 2026.

Accessing Effort Reporting System (ERS)

Click here to access ERS

Effort Reporting System (ERS) Overview

The University fulfills the effort reporting requirement through the use of the Effort Reporting System (ERS). ERS is a web-based tool that calculates the distribution of effort for all employees paid from federal and federal flow-through funds, captures certification electronically, and provides a mechanism for processing corrections and re-certifying reports.

An effort reporting system must provide records on how individuals participating in federally funded sponsored agreements actually spend their time. Because the federal government mandates effort reporting, it is incumbent upon institutions that receive federal funding to maintain accurate and auditable systems and records.

ERS is a web-based tool that, based on actual pay, calculates the distribution of effort for all employees paid from federal and federal flow-through funds; captures certification electronically; and provides a mechanism for processing corrections and re-certifying reports. Effort reports are required for all personnel paid directly from sponsored projects funded by federal sources, including private and state federal flow-through funds.

Features of ERS include:

Certifications are easy to track
Maintains historical information
System becomes "office of record"
Reduces risk of noncompliance
Accessible online 24/7 through Web-based interface
Reports and certifications are distributed and captured electronically
Online editing and edit checks
System interacts with PPS so you can drilldown to detailed payroll calculations
Tracking of payroll changes against effort reported

Certification Periods and Due Dates

Effort Reports are released three times per year. Payroll expenses appear on effort reports based on the UCPath payroll earning's Earn End Date.

Reporting Period Name	Reporting Period	Certification Due-Date
Spring	February - May	August 29th
Summer	June - August	November 29th
Fall	September - January	May 1st

Verifying Effort Report Certification Status

Principal Investigators, Research Administrators, or other Campus administrative staff can view the latest Effort Certification Status Report to determine the completeness of effort certification. The report is refreshed each Monday morning.