Howard Hughes Medical Institute Financial Project
This project involved replacing and integrating multiple legacy systems into one database, with numerous software tools for accessing the data. The back-end data storage for all of the systems is an SQL Server database. The front-end systems consist of both client-server systems for HHMI internal use and Web systems for internal and external data collection and reporting. The systems support all phases of entry, updating, maintenance, and reporting of financial information. A Microsoft Access client-server system is used to initialize information on new grants. All the systems use the same database, so management can obtain reports on all available financial information easily. The Budget and Expense System (BESt) is used by grantees to submit budget and expenditure reports. This Web-based system allows grantees full access to their budget and expense data via the Internet. BESt provides built-in reports that allow grantees to view and format their budget and expense data conveniently. It also provides built-in validation to track grantee expenses against HHMI guidelines.