Dear Colleagues,

Business & Financial Services is excited to announce the upcoming deployment of the revamped annual payroll certification process, supported by a new system set to go live within the next 1–2 weeks. This updated system ensures compliance with federal regulations for verifying salary charges on federally funded projects and replaces the PI Web Reporting System (PIWRS).

System Access and Roles

• Department Coordinators (Coordinators): Access to the system requires assignment in EACS. Coordinators previously assigned in PIWRS have been migrated to the new Payroll Certifications system. Department SAAs must review role assignments migrated from PIWRS to ensure accuracy and address any gaps in coverage.
   
• Principal Investigators (PIs): Access is automatically enabled for PIs on a Contract & Grant. PIs will receive email notifications with a link to complete their certifications.

Relaunch of Annual Payroll Certification Process

Departments will be notified once the Payroll Certifications system is deployed and Phase 1 is released. At that time, Coordinators will have access to the Chart of Accounts (COA) Projects associated with their PIs’ UCPath Home Department to support the certification process.

To address delayed certifications caused by Impact23, the relaunch will follow a two-phase process before transitioning to a regular cadence:

• Phase 1: Certifications for July 1–December 31, 2023
• Phase 2: Certifications for January 1–June 30, 2024

For each phase, Coordinators will have 30 calendar days to review and prepare any necessary documentation (e.g., cost-sharing, salary adjustments) prior to the PIs’ review and certification. Department Coordinators will serve as the primary point of contact for PI inquiries and support throughout the process.

Support and Resources

We encourage Coordinators to visit the Payroll Certifications webpage, where training resources—including role-specific reference guides and embedded instructional videos—will be available upon deployment.

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to the accuracy of annual payroll certifications. If you have any questions, contact EMF@ucr.edu. 

Sincerely,