Step-by-step guide to submitting effort commitment change requests

To request a change of effort commitment you will navigate to Projects view in SPS. From Projects, select the Personnel tab and then click on the name of the Personnel who needs a change in commitment.   

Once you have selected the Personnel, you will see a summary screen including project details, sponsor effort requirements, and project commitments, displayed as the total and the breakdown (calendar, academic, and summer). A person’s appointment and commitment type will always match – for example, a person with a calendar appointment will have a calendar commitment. A person with an academic appointment may have academic and/or summer commitments. You will see the person’s appointment at the top of the screen.

Under Project Commitments, you will select the “Commitment Change Request” menu on the right side of the screen.   

Select whether you are requesting an update to the calendar commitment or requesting to remove a commitment and inactivate personnel.

To update the calendar commitment, enter the new calendar commitment requested in the “Calendar” field, the effective date of the new calendar commitment, and the end date of the new calendar commitment. The academic and summer fields will not be editable if the person has a calendar appointment. Once the data has been entered, select “Start Request”.

While all three commitment types are displayed, only the summer and academic fields will be editable if the current commitment is an academic or summer commitment.

Modifying the summer and/or academic commitment values while maintaining the current commitment total is called a redistribution. Not all academic/summer commitment change requests will result in a total commitment change.

Edit either the academic field, the summer field, or both. Enter the effective date of the new commitment, and the end date of the new commitment. Once the data has been entered, select “Start Request”.

NOTE: While summer commitments apply to only summer months, the total commitment (i.e., the sum of the academic and summer commitment) is tracked to ensure compliance with institutional and federal guidelines. The “Effective Date” represents from which point the total commitment will change

Next, enter the justification for change in commitment. Provide a project-specific justification for the modification and describe how funds released because of this reduction will be used.   

Visit the Guide to Best Practice for Effort Commitment Changes for more guidance about what should be included in this justification. If this is a redistribution, explain why the commitment types must be redistributed.

If the modification will change the project scope or impact the ability to accomplish specific aims on schedule, select the “Yes” button(s) and provide an explanation for that change or impact.   

Some requests require Sponsor Level Approval, indicated in the commitment change request summary, the Sponsor Effort Requirements section on a project person page, and on the Personnel Tab of the Project.

If the request requires sponsor approval, you are required to attach the “Sponsor Letter” to the “Required Documents”. 

Once the justifications and documentation have been added, you must click on the certification checkbox that states, “By checking this box and submitting this request for approval, you are indicating that the PI of this project is aware of and has approved these effort commitment changes.” 

After the request is certified you, click on the “Action” dropdown in the Request Actions section. You can Submit for Approval or Discard the draft request if it is no longer needed. If you have any additional notes or supporting documentation it can be added into the Note Text and Supporting Documentation fields at the bottom.

The request status will be “Draft” until the request is submitted by selecting the “Take Action” button.

Once submitted, the request status will change to “Pending Central Review” and will be routed to ORA for review. To track the status of the request from the Projects view select the “View Project Requests” button under Actions. 

To view the request details, select the “Request ID” on the left side.

The request history and notes can be found at the bottom on the request details.  

To remove a commitment and inactivate personnel enter the “Project Removal Effective Date” and select “Start Request”. Inactivating a person removes their commitment and appends them to the “Inactive Personnel” section on the Personnel tab. 

Next, enter the justification for change in commitment. Provide a project-specific justification for the modification and describe how funds released because of this reduction will be used.   

Visit the Guide to Best Practice for Effort Commitment Changes for more guidance about what should be included in this justification.

If the modification will change the project scope or impact the ability to accomplish specific aims on schedule, select the “Yes” button(s) and provide an explanation for that change or impact.   

Some requests require Sponsor Level Approval, indicated on the Personnel Tab of the Project. 

If the request requires sponsor approval, you are required to attach the “Sponsor Letter” to the “Required Documents”.  

Once the justifications and documentation have been added, you must click on the certification checkbox that states, “By checking this box and submitting this request for approval, you are indicating that the PI of this project is aware of and has approved these effort commitment changes.” 

After the request is certified you will click “Request Action” from the dropdown menu. You can Submit for Approval or Discard the draft request. If you have any additional notes or supporting documentation it can be added into the Note Text and Supporting Documentation fields at the bottom. The request status will be “Draft” until the request is submitted by selecting the “Take Action” button. 

Once submitted, the request status will change to “Pending Central Review” and will be routed to ORA for review. To track the status of the request from the Projects view select the “View Project Requests” button under Actions. 

To view the request details, select the “Request ID” on the left side. 

The request history and notes can be found at the bottom on the request details.