FINDING 2025-014 Name of Responsible Individual: Assistant Vice President for Post Award Corrective Action: The University initiated the Effort Certification process to capture the full calendar year 2025 in April 2026. This represents a one-time extended certification period designed to include pre...
FINDING 2025-014 Name of Responsible Individual: Assistant Vice President for Post Award Corrective Action: The University initiated the Effort Certification process to capture the full calendar year 2025 in April 2026. This represents a one-time extended certification period designed to include previously uncertified periods that had concluded, specifically the second half of FY25 (January–June 2025) and the first half of FY26 (July–December 2025). In May 2025, the non-accounting functions of Grants and Contracts Accounting at Howard University were transitioned to the Office of Research, Sponsored Programs Office. During this organizational transition, the University prioritized the completion and accuracy of all costing allocations to ensure payroll data was complete and reliable for effort certification purposes. This period was also utilized to identify and resolve any backlog of costing allocations and award charges and stabilize the Office of Research. Addressing these items ensured that effort reflected complete and accurate payroll activity, thereby enabling Principal Investigators to appropriately review and certify their effort. The Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) now leads post-award financial oversight and collaborates with Human Resources (HR) and Finance to ensure designated personnel are identified and granted system access to enter costing allocations and labor cost transfers in Workday. In addition, in response to the auditor’s recommendation to enhance internal controls and ensure timely monitoring of effort reporting, Howard University has implemented the following corrective actions: Hired Dedicated Departmental Support – Six College Research Administrators (CRAs) and an Associate Director of CRA’s were hired to support high-volume research colleges. The CRAs ensure timely and accurate labor cost transfers, effort certification, and costing allocation entries during award setup and throughout the award lifecycle. Enhanced Effort Reporting Process – SPO will lead improvements to the effort certification process, including: • Advance communication to PIs, CRAs, and Deans outlining certification deadlines • Clear guidance on when labor cost transfers may occur outside the certification cycle • Reinforcement that all effort changes must be reflected in the effort system to ensure alignment with payroll. • Training – Targeted training will be delivered to Principal Investigators, CRAs, and other research stakeholders to support consistent application of policies and procedures. Monitoring and Oversight – Monthly and quarterly reconciliation reports will be developed to track and validate timely and accurate payroll allocations for research personnel. Anticipated Completion Date: August 30, 2026