HCSRA Hint: Join the ECRT Group in HTP to Access More Resources

October 3, 2022

Join the ECRT Group in HTP to Access More Resources

There are various ecrt job aids and resources available in the Harvard Training Portal (HTP). Important Note: HTP will show ~9 ecrt search results, however, if you join the ecrt Group, you will have the ability to access more resources (~24 ecrt search results). 

screenshot showing how to join ecrt group in the Harvard Training PortalRecommended HTP Resources

You are encouraged to view all available resources, however, Judy Lo (Harvard Chan School's Tub-level Effort Coordinator), listed the most relevant resources for GMs. If you have any ecrt questions, please contact Judy Lo

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Effort

  1. Effort is an individual's work on a project, whether the sponsor pays their salary or not.
  2. If effort is reduced, paid or unpaid, on a federal grant by 25% or more of the current commitment, prior approval from the agency is generally required.
  3. Effort on many activities cannot be charged to a sponsored project. Some examples of activities that cannot be charged include: 
    • writing a proposal
    • Serving on an IRB, IACUC or other research committee
    • Serving on a departmental or University service committee
  4. Any effort expended on a federal project must be certified.
  5. Salary adjustments that affect any faculty or staff who work on federal projects during the year must include the both the Period of Work Performed (PWP) and the employee’s Harvard University Identification (HUID). The HUID and PWP are required even if the specific entry does not include a sponsored fund or sponsored activity to ensure complete reporting through the effort certification system, ecrt.
  6. Since certification occurs quarterly, salary adjustments that span multiple months are required to be broken into fiscal quarters.
  7. Faculty annual certification must reasonably reflect all the effort for all the activities that are covered by an individual's institutional based salary.
  8. Effort is not based on a 40- or 35-hour week.
  9. Effort must be certified by someone with suitable means of verification that the work was performed.
  10. Effort certification is a part of the University's Uniform Guidance audit.