Research grant timesheet template: what to include
What Horizon Europe, UKRI and Innovate UK each ask a timesheet to show, and one monthly layout that covers all three.
Checked against the AGA v2.0, UKRI's FEC terms (1 October 2026) and Innovate UK's terms (October 2025) ยท October 2026
The short answer
One timesheet per person per month, covering every project and activity they worked on, in the hours they actually worked, signed and dated by the person and by their supervisor or line manager soon after the month ends. Innovate UK asks for more: hours and a description of the work for each day, and the rate of labour.
What each funder asks for
| Horizon Europe | UKRI, including EPSRC | Innovate UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How often | At least monthly | Monthly as a minimum; weekly is acceptable | The date and hours worked for each day |
| What it covers | All the time worked on the project, in days or hours | Every activity the person worked on, all hours worked, including non-productive time such as annual leave | Time charged to the project |
| Description of the work | Not listed | Not listed | A brief description of the work and its work packages |
| Who signs | The person and their supervisor, each dated | Completed and authorised, at a minimum, by the person's line manager | Authorised by the project manager |
| When | Signed at least monthly | Completed and approved within two months of the period's end | Kept contemporaneously, as evidence for each claim |
| Other | Hours are converted to day-equivalents when you report | Actual, not budgeted, hours | The actual rate of labour |
"Not listed" means the funder's rule doesn't ask for it; your institution may still want it. UKRI's rule applies to directly incurred and exceptions staff who work across more than one activity; see the UKRI guide for who that covers.
A monthly template that covers them
- Organisation, person and month
- Each project the person worked on, with its funder, grant number and cost code
- Hours on each project, by week, or by day for Innovate UK projects
- Hours on other activities, such as teaching or administration, and days of annual leave and other absence
- The month's total hours
- A line per project describing the work, or per day for Innovate UK projects
- The person's signature and the date they signed
- The supervisor's or line manager's signature and the date they signed
Keep one record per person per month. Horizon Europe accepts only the lower figure where two sets of records disagree, so don't keep a weekly sheet and a monthly declaration side by side.
Mistakes that fail audits
- Copying the budgeted split instead of recording actual hours. UKRI's funding assurance calls this out, and Horizon Europe wants the time actually worked
- Signing months late. UKRI wants approval within two months, and Horizon Europe at least monthly
- Leaving out other work and leave. UKRI's timesheets cover every activity and all hours, including annual leave
- Missing dates on signatures, which UKRI's funding assurance may ask to see
- Records that disagree with each other, such as a timesheet and a declaration showing different days
How UniTimesheet fits
UniTimesheet produces this monthly timesheet without anyone building it in a spreadsheet:
- Each month's timesheet is drafted from the person's allocations and days off, and they correct it to the hours they actually worked
- Hours per project and week, with one line per project describing the month's work
- The approved PDF carries each project's funders, grant number and cost code, your logo, and both signature images, dated the day the person submitted and the day the project owner approved
- Reminders after your deadline and escalation to the principal investigator keep sign-off well inside UKRI's two months
What it doesn't do: it records hours by week, not by day, with a monthly description per project and no labour rate, so it doesn't produce the daily records in Innovate UK's grant terms. Days off reduce the hours and are kept in the app, but the PDF doesn't list them. Other activities appear only if you set them up as projects.
Sources
This guide summarises the funders' published terms. It is not legal or audit advice: your grant agreement and your research office have the final word.
- European Commission, EU Grants AGA: Annotated Grant Agreement, v2.0, 1 April 2025 (Article 20)
- UKRI terms and conditions of FEC grants (RGC 4.6, RGC 10.1, RGC 10.2), updated 1 October 2026
- UKRI FEC grants: standard terms and conditions of grant guidance, updated 1 October 2026
- Terms and Conditions of an Innovate UK Grant Award, October 2025 (clauses 9.6 to 9.8)
- Innovate UK costs guidance for non-academic organisations: labour costs, updated 28 August 2026
Run next month's timesheets in UniTimesheet
Tell us about your group: how many staff, which funders, how you sign timesheets today. We'll set up your organisation and import your projects and allocations with you.