Effort reporting is mandated under OMB Uniform Guidance which requires certification of effort spent by all employees whose salaries are charged directly to federal and federal flow-through funds, as well as reporting any committed cost sharing. When UCSB accepts a federally sponsored project award, a legal obligation is made to certify that the effort required as a condition of the award has actually been completed.

The University fulfills the effort certification requirement through the use of the Effort Reporting System (ERS).