Effort Percent / Calendar Month Conversion Tables

    Last revised: 1/28/24

    The following conversion charts assist Principal Investigators (PI) and departmental business offices in the preparation of proposal budgets (and/or budget justification) when converting effort in the form of a percentage to calendar/person months or converting calendar/person months to an effort percentage, based on the term of appointment. It should be noted that the proposed effort commitment should be reasonable and conform to the University’s expectations of the PI and key personnel. Effort and institutional base salary in detailed budgets are used to verify the requested salary.

    In addition, the charts may be helpful when creating Payroll Costing Allocations to charge a sponsored project and/or to account for cost sharing.

    Please choose from the twelve- or nine-month appointment charts as appropriate.

    % Effort = Person Months ÷ (% appointment × term of appointment)

    NOTES:

    1. If an individual has a part-time appointment, the person months must be adjusted accordingly.

    Example:
    100% effort x 50% of a 12-month appointment = 6 person months
    50% effort x 50% of a 12-month appointment = 3 person months
    50% effort x 50% of a 9-month appointment = 2.25 person months
    % Effort x % of appointment (or term of the appointment) = person months

    2. When preparing a proposal, the effort percentage/person month calculation must be made based on the term of the appointment. Preparing the Payroll Costing Allocation, however, is based on how the faculty member is actually paid. This is important in particular for faculty with 9-month academic year appointments. Even though the faculty member has an institutional base salary for their 9-month academic year appointment, in general, it is paid over 12 months.

    Example:
    A faculty member with a 9-month academic year appointment has an institutional base salary of $180,000 which is paid over twelve months. She has permission to devote 10% effort in the form of cost sharing to a sponsored project during the academic year.

    How is the effort indicated in the proposal?
    The proposal should indicate .9 person months (9 x .10 = .9). For most federal sponsors, the .9 would appear in the budget column of the proposal page indicating “academic” year.

    How should the Payroll Costing Allocation be set-up?
    The Labor Schedule should be set up to distribute 10% of the salary ($180,000 x .10 = $18,000 ÷ 12 = $1,500/month) to the companion cost sharing account usually coincident with the period of performance of the award.

    Twelve (12) Month Appointments (Full Time)
    Percent Effort to Calendar Months

    Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months
    1% 0.1 21% 2.5 41% 4.9 61% 7.3 81% 9.7
    2% 0.2 22% 2.6 42% 5.0 62% 7.4 82% 9.8
    3% 0.4 23% 2.8 43% 5.2 63% 7.6 83% 10.0
    4% 0.5 24% 2.9 44% 5.3 64% 7.7 84% 10.1
    5% 0.6 25% 3.0 45% 5.4 65% 7.8 85% 10.2
    6% 0.7 26% 3.1 46% 5.5 66% 7.9 86% 10.3
    7% 0.8 27% 3.2 47% 5.6 67% 8.0 87% 10.4
    8% 1.0 28% 3.4 48% 5.8 68% 8.2 88% 10.6
    9% 1.1 29% 3.5 49% 5.9 69% 8.3 89% 10.7
    10% 1.2 30% 3.6 50% 6.0 70% 8.4 90% 10.8
    11% 1.3 31% 3.7 51% 6.1 71% 8.5 91% 10.9
    12% 1.4 32% 3.8 52% 6.2 72% 8.6 92% 11.0
    13% 1.6 33% 4.0 53% 6.4 73% 8.8 93% 11.2
    14% 1.7 34% 4.1 54% 6.5 74% 8.9 94% 11.3
    15% 1.8 35% 4.2 55% 6.6 75% 9.0 95% 11.4
    16% 1.9 36% 4.3 56% 6.7 76% 9.1 96% 11.5
    17% 2.0 37% 4.4 57% 6.8 77% 9.2 97% 11.6
    18% 2.2 38% 4.6 58% 7.0 78% 9.4 98% 11.8
    19% 2.3 39% 4.7 59% 7.1 79% 9.5 99% 11.9
    20% 2.4 40% 4.8 60% 7.2 80% 9.6 100% 12

    Twelve (12) Month Appointments (Full Time)
    Calendar Months to Percent Effort

    Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    months    		 Percent
    Month    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort
    0.1 1% 2.1 18% 4.1 34% 6.1 51% 8.1 68% 10.1 84%
    0.2 2% 2.2 19% 4.2 35% 6.2 52% 8.2 68% 10.2 85%
    0.3 3% 2.3 19% 4.3 36% 6.3 53% 8.3 69% 10.3 86%
    0.4 4% 2.4 20% 4.4 37% 6.4 53% 8.4 70% 10.4 87%
    0.5 4% 2.5 21% 4.5 38% 6.5 54% 8.5 71% 10.5 88%
    0.6 5% 2.6 22% 4.6 39% 6.6 55% 8.6 72% 10.6 88%
    0.7 6% 2.7 23% 4.7 39% 6.7 56% 8.7 73% 10.7 89%
    0.8 7% 2.8 24% 4.8 40% 6.8 57% 8.8 73% 10.8 90%
    0.9 8% 2.9 24% 4.9 41% 6.9 58% 8.9 74% 10.9 91%
    1 9% 3 25% 5 42% 7 58% 9 75% 11 92%
    1.1 9% 3.1 26% 5.1 43% 7.1 59% 9.1 76% 11.1 93%
    1.2 10% 3.2 27% 5.2 44% 7.2 60% 9.2 77% 11.2 93%
    1.3 11% 3.3 28% 5.3 44% 7.3 61% 9.3 78% 11.3 94%
    1.4 12% 3.4 29% 5.4 45% 7.4 62% 9.4 78% 11.4 95%
    1.5 13% 3.5 29% 5.5 46% 7.5 63% 9.5 79% 11.5 96%
    1.6 14% 3.6 30% 5.6 47% 7.6 63% 9.6 80% 11.6 97%
    1.7 14% 3.7 31% 5.7 48% 7.7 64% 9.7 81% 11.7 98%
    1.8 15% 3.8 32% 5.8 49% 7.8 65% 9.8 82% 11.8 98%
    1.9 16% 3.9 33% 5.9 49% 7.9 66% 9.9 83% 11.9 99%
    2 17% 4 34% 6 50% 8 67% 10 83% 12 100%

    Nine (9) Month Appointments (Full Time)
    Percent Effort to Calendar Months

    Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months
    1% 0.1 21% 1.9 41% 3.7 61% 5.5 81% 7.3
    2% 0.2 22% 2.0 42% 3.8 62% 5.6 82% 7.4
    3% 0.3 23% 2.1 43% 3.9 63% 5.7 83% 7.5
    4% 0.4 24% 2.2 44% 4.0 64% 5.8 84% 7.6
    5% 0.5 25% 2.3 45% 4.1 65% 5.9 85% 7.7
    6% 0.5 26% 2.3 46% 4.1 66% 5.9 86% 7.7
    7% 0.6 27% 2.4 47% 4.2 67% 6.0 87% 7.8
    8% 0.7 28% 2.5 48% 4.3 68% 6.1 88% 7.9
    9% 0.8 29% 2.6 49% 4.4 69% 6.2 89% 8.0
    10% 0.9 30% 2.7 50% 4.5 70% 6.3 90% 8.1
    11% 1.0 31% 2.8 51% 4.6 71% 6.4 91% 8.2
    12% 1.1 32% 2.9 52% 4.7 72% 6.5 92% 8.3
    13% 1.2 33% 3.0 53% 4.8 73% 6.6 93% 8.4
    14% 1.3 34% 3.1 54% 4.9 74% 6.7 94% 8.5
    15% 1.4 35% 3.2 55% 5.0 75% 6.8 95% 8.6
    16% 1.4 36% 3.2 56% 5.0 76% 6.8 96% 8.6
    17% 1.5 37% 3.3 57% 5.1 77% 6.9 97% 8.7
    18% 1.6 38% 3.4 58% 5.2 78% 7.0 98% 8.8
    19% 1.7 39% 3.5 59% 5.3 79% 7.1 99% 8.9
    20% 1.8 40% 3.6 60% 5.4 80% 7.2 100% 9

    Nine (9) Month Appointments (Full Time)
    Calendar Months to Percent Effort

    Calendar
    months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort    		 Calendar
    Months    		 Percent
    Effort
    0.1 1% 2.1 23% 4.1 45% 6.1 68% 8.1 90%
    0.2 2% 2.2 24% 4.2 47% 6.2 69% 8.2 91%
    0.3 3% 2.3 25% 4.3 48% 6.3 70% 8.3 92%
    0.4 4% 2.4 27% 4.4 49% 6.4 71% 8.4 93%
    0.5 5% 2.5 28% 4.5 50% 6.5 72% 8.5 94%
    0.6 7% 2.6 29% 4.6 51% 6.6 73% 8.6 95%
    0.7 8% 2.7 30% 4.7 52% 6.7 74% 8.7 97%
    0.8 9% 2.8 31% 4.8 53% 6.8 75% 8.8 98%
    0.9 10% 2.9 32% 4.9 54% 6.9 77% 8.9 99%
    1 11% 3 33% 5 55% 7 78% 9 100%
    1.1 12% 3.1 34% 5.1 57% 7.1 79%    
    1.2 13% 3.2 35% 5.2 58% 7.2 80%    
    1.3 14% 3.3 37% 5.3 59% 7.3 81%    
    1.4 15% 3.4 38% 5.4 60% 7.4 82%    
    1.5 17% 3.5 39% 5.5 61% 7.5 83%    
    1.6 18% 3.6 40% 5.6 62% 7.6 84%    
    1.7 19% 3.7 41% 5.7 63% 7.7 85%    
    1.8 20% 3.8 42% 5.8 64% 7.8 87%    
    1.9 21% 3.9 43% 5.9 65% 7.9 88%    
    2 22% 4 44% 6 67% 8 89%    

    Three Summer Month Term

    Percent Effort to 3 Summer Months

    Percent Effort Calendar Months Percent Effort Calendar Months Percent Effort Calendar Months Percent Effort Calendar Months Percent Effort Calendar Months
    1% 0.03 21% 0.63 41% 1.23 61% 1.83 81% 2.43
    2% 0.06 22% 0.66 42% 1.26 62% 1.86 82% 2.46
    3% 0.09 23% 0.69 43% 1.29 63% 1.89 83% 2.49
    4% 0.12 24% 0.72 44% 1.32 64% 1.92 84% 2.52
    5% 0.15 25% 0.75 45% 1.35 65% 1.95 85% 2.55
    6% 0.18 26% 0.78 46% 1.38 66% 1.98 86% 2.58
    7% 0.21 27% 0.81 47% 1.41 67% 2.01 87% 2.61
    8% 0.24 28% 0.84 48% 1.44 68% 2.04 88% 2.64
    9% 0.27 29% 0.87 49% 1.47 69% 2.07 89% 2.67
    10% 0.30 30% 0.90 50% 1.50 70% 2.10 90% 2.70
    11% 0.33 31% 0.93 51% 1.53 71% 2.13 91% 2.73
    12% 0.36 32% 0.96 52% 1.56 72% 2.16 92% 2.76
    13% 0.39 33% 0.99 53% 1.59 73% 2.19 93% 2.79
    14% 0.42 34% 1.02 54% 1.62 74% 2.22 94% 2.82
    15% 0.45 35% 1.05 55% 1.65 75% 2.25 95% 2.85
    16% 0.48 36% 1.08 56% 1.68 76% 2.28 96% 2.88
    17% 0.51 37% 1.11 57% 1.71 77% 2.31 97% 2.91
    18% 0.54 38% 1.14 58% 1.74 78% 2.34 98% 2.94
    19% 0.57 39% 1.17 59% 1.77 79% 2.37 99% 2.97
    20% 0.60 40% 1.20 60% 1.80 80% 2.40 100% 3.00

    Three Summer Month Term

    3 Summer Months to Percent Effort

    Calendar Months Percent Effort Calendar Months Percent Effort
    0.1 3% 2.1 70%
    0.2 6% 2.2 73%
    0.3 10% 2.3 76%
    0.4 13% 2.4 80%
    0.5 16% 2.5 83%
    0.6 20% 2.6 86%
    0.7 23% 2.7 90%
    0.8 26% 2.8 93%
    0.9 30% 2.9 96%
    1 33% 3 100%
    1.1 33%    
    1.2 36%    
    1.3 43%    
    1.4 46%    
    1.5 50%    
    1.6 53%    
    1.7 56%    
    1.8 60%    
    1.9 63%    
    2 66%    

    Related Information