How is effort calculated?

For proposal purposes, the requested salary support should normally be determined by multiplying the proposed level of effort by the individual’s Institutional Base Salary. This determines the allowable charge to the project. In no event should the requested salary support exceed this amount. Levels of effort proposed in any sponsored project application should be consistent with the actual effort that each individual is expected to expend on the project during the relevant project period(s). The proposed level of effort must be expressed in accordance with sponsor requirements. Some sponsors require that the level of effort be proposed in terms of person months (e.g., example, three person months of a 12-month appointment). Other sponsors expect the proposed level of effort to be expressed in percentage terms (e.g., 25% of total effort).

Example: Dr. X, a calendar year employee, has 50% of his total university effort of 100% available for research. If the proposed level of effort for Project Y is 25% (three months of a 12-month appointment), and Dr. X’s Institutional Base Salary is $100,000, normally the requested salary support would be $25,000 per year. Dr. X then has a balance of 25% of total University effort to be used for other research related activities.

Example: A PI on an AY appointment at a salary of $63,000 would have a monthly salary of $ 7,000 (one-ninth of the AY). 25% of AY effort would be 2.25 AY month. The budget figure for that effort would be $15,750 (25% of total AY salary). Two Summer Salary months for this PI would be $14,000 (equivalent to two-ninths of AY salary). Two summer months would be 66% of the three month summer term.

Example: A PI on a CY appointment at a salary of $ 72,000 would have a monthly salary of $6,000 (one-twelfth of total CY salary). 25% of CY effort would be 3 CY months. The budget figure for that effort would be $18,000 (25% of total CY salary)