Best Fund accounting and grant management software for universities and research institutions handling federal grants, effort reporting, indirect cost recovery, and Uniform Guidance audit readiness in the USA
Non-sponsored, Expert Verified and Transparently Ranked Fund accounting and grant management software for universities and research institutions handling federal grants, effort reporting, indirect cost recovery, and Uniform Guidance audit readiness in the USA
Published: January 16, 2026 | Verified by: Ted Scheiman & Rob Watts
Executive Summary
We analyzed 5 solutions. Top Recommendation: Managed Services & Outsourcing by Huron Consulting Group scored highest due to Research‑intensive universities needing advanced research administration and effort certification. Trusted by a majority of R1 universities [1](https://www.huronconsultinggroup.com/expertise/research-enterprise/huron-research-suite); ECC reduces certifications and strengthens internal controls [2](https://www.huronconsultinggroup.com/insights/western-michigan-university-huron-ecc-solution), supporting Uniform Guidance time and effort expectations [3](https://www.nifa.usda.gov/uniform-guidance-time-effort-reporting-faq)..
Content Verification
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | #1 Managed Services & Outsourcing (Huron Consulting Group) | #2 Spend Management (Workday) | #3 Ellucian Finance (Ellucian) | #4 The Cayuse Suite (Cayuse) | #5 Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications (Oracle) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Research‑intensive universities needing advanced research administration and effort certification. Trusted by a majority of R1 universities [1]; ECC reduces certifications and strengthens internal controls [2], supporting Uniform Guidance time and effort expectations [3]. | Universities modernizing to a unified cloud ERP. Integrated finance/HR/payroll streamlines grants, with built‑in effort certification and audit trail visibility [1], proven campus workflows using Workday for effort certification [2], and compliance guardrails suitable for Uniform Guidance oversight [3]. | Colleges and universities on Banner seeking integrated grant accounting. Offers grant-management features in the finance suite [1] and research accounting functions like indirect cost calculation and grant ledgers for sponsor billing [2], supporting Uniform Guidance reporting needs [3]. | Small to mid‑size universities and research institutes seeking modular deployment. Project Effort automates certification and audit trails [1]; Fund Manager gives spend, burn rate, and forecasting visibility [2]; Sponsored Projects centralizes lifecycle workflows [3]. | Large U.S. universities and academic medical centers that need tightly integrated fund accounting with grants. Covers proposal-to-award workflows, F&A processing, and comprehensive billing for sponsor reporting [1], [2], and aligns with evolving Uniform Guidance requirements for audit readiness [3]. |
| Effort Certification Automation | Automates effort/payroll certification via ECC: auto-distributes project‑based statements to PIs; automates workflows for confirmations and cost transfers; sends automated certification emails; integrates with payroll, financial, and research systems to prepopulate data; and offers audit logs and custom reporting to reduce administrative burden and strengthen compliance. (huronconsultinggroup.com) | Automates effort certification via payroll-backed pro forma reports, company-level certification runs, routing to PIs/reviewers, and automated alerts/reminders. (workday.com) Supports Change Effort with reason codes and auto-initiated payroll accounting adjustments; detects obsolete reports and triggers recertification; provides cycle status reporting. (erp.umd.edu) | Banner Self‑Service Effort Certification automates pre‑review, certification, and PI review; sends notifications; tracks status; locks certified records; and auto‑updates effort after labor redistributions, eliminating PDF/manual workflows. Accessible online to employees/alternate certifiers within Banner (Ellucian Finance ecosystem). (research.rowan.edu) | Automates effort certification via Project Effort: integrates with Payroll/GL/HR to automate preparation and certification, reduce manual entry, enable digital signatures with an audit trail, enforce deadlines via alerts/emails, and is configurable to institutional policy. (cayuse.com) Automates calculations/reporting and one‑click approvals; supports automated effort monitoring using imported payroll data. (cayuse.com) | N/A |
| Indirect Cost Recovery Features | Calculates and negotiates F&A/indirect cost rates (DHHS‑CAS/ONR); conducts efacs‑driven space surveys for defensible proposals; optimizes fringe benefit reimbursement; supports reimbursement mechanisms (service center, vivarium rates); and forecasts direct/indirect revenue to plan ICR. (huronconsultinggroup.com) | Configures F&A/indirect rate agreements and basis types (e.g., MTDC) to automatically calculate IDC on eligible costs. (finance.uw.edu) Enforces unallowable-spend controls and maintains audit trails/effort certification for compliance. (workday.com) Supports reporting and distribution of recovered F&A to PIs/departments; proper detail codes ensure excluded items (e.g., equipment) aren’t charged F&A. (unr.edu) | Automatic F&A (indirect cost) calculation on grant expenses; supports online or deferred IDC posting and IDC encumbrances (GRIX rule); excludes non‑allowable bases (e.g., participant support) from F&A; and can auto‑charge IDC as expenses post. (manuals.plus) | Supports F&A (indirect cost) recovery via: rate/base selection (e.g., MTDC) in budgets; sponsor‑capped/0% rates; automatic multi‑period rate updates; subrecipient F&A rate profiles; and reporting of total indirect costs. (fortlewis.edu) | Supports indirect cost recovery via burdening: define burden structures/schedules (firm or provisional) to calculate overhead, fringe, and G&A on project costs for costing, revenue, and billing; maintain award‑specific burden rates; account by burden code with absorption/recovery; control burdening for internal funding sources; optionally report burden as direct in the Federal Financial Report. (docs.oracle.com) |
| Integration with Financial Systems | ECC integrates with financial, payroll, and research administration applications for compliant compensation/effort workflows. (huronconsultinggroup.com) Huron also implements and integrates Workday Financial Management with HR/payroll and third-party systems (e.g., treasury) to unify data, automate reporting, and enhance accuracy. (huronconsultinggroup.com) | Works with Workday Financial Management; modules also operate standalone. (workday.com) Expenses works with or without Workday Financials and with any finance system. (workday.com) Strategic Sourcing integrates with any ERP/finance or procurement system. (workday.com) Procurement connects to financial management and inventory for a unified, real-time view across processes. (workday.com) | Integrates via Ellucian Ethos APIs with Banner/Colleague and third‑party apps, with prebuilt partner integrations for real‑time payments/reconciliation (Flywire, Transact), Axiom/Strata financial planning, and AP automation (TranscendAP); open ecosystem offers APIs/integration services for deep partner connectivity. (ellucian.com) | Integrates with institutional ERP, GL, payroll, HR, and eRA systems; Fund Manager supplements ERP for forecasting/portfolio visibility, while Project Effort uses payroll/GL/HR feeds to automate effort certification and reduce duplicate entry. (cayuse.com) | Native integration with Oracle Fusion Cloud Financials (GL, Payables, Receivables, Assets, Subledger Accounting, Projects/Billing). (docs.oracle.com) Supports ERP Integrations REST APIs and FBDI for bulk imports/exports and posting; plus event-driven and API-based connectivity via Oracle Integration adapters for third‑party/on‑prem systems. (docs.oracle.com) |
Managed Services & Outsourcing
Huron Consulting GroupCompany Information
Description
Huron is a global consultancy focused on enhancing performance in sectors including healthcare, education, and financial services. It offers expertise in various industries, targeted strategies, and innovative solutions to drive success for its clients.
What They Do
Huron Consulting Group specializes in consulting services across diverse industries to enhance operational efficiency and drive transformative change.
Who They Serve
Huron serves various sectors including healthcare, education, energy, financial services, and the public sector.
Key Value Propositions
Target Customers
Industries Served
Contact Information
Key Pages
Navigation Links
Summary
An end‑to‑end research administration platform (grants, agreements, compliance) paired with ECC for modernized effort certification. Widely adopted across R1 institutions, it streamlines pre/post‑award operations and strengthens personnel compensation compliance.
Key Features
- Revenue cycle managed services for healthcare organizations
- Solution Sustainability as a Service for digital transformation
- Research office support to manage administrative, financial, and regulatory burdens
- Digital managed services for cloud platform and technology support
- Flexible business and staffing models
Key Benefits
- Scale operations efficiently
- Reduce operational costs
- Streamline business processes
- Enable internal teams to focus on strategic initiatives
- Flexible business and staffing models
- Customized solutions aligned with digital ecosystem and culture
Who Is It For
- Healthcare organizations
- Academic health systems
- Research institutions
- Organizations seeking to expand research portfolios
- Organizations undergoing digital transformation
- Organizations needing to streamline operations and reduce costs
Use Cases
- Redesigning hospital patient billing offices to improve cash flow and staff engagement
- Stabilizing financial operations in healthcare through managed services collaborations
- Supporting research administration and sponsored research management
- Providing ongoing support for digital platforms and cloud solutions
Managed Services
We provide trusted support and customized solutions that empower you to scale your operations, reduce costs, and streamline processes while offering your teams the flexibility to focus on key initiatives.
How We Help You
- Revenue cycle managed services
- Solution Sustainability as a Service
- Huron Research Office
- Digital Managed Services
Revenue cycle managed services
Elevate healthcare revenue cycle performance, including leadership, talent and culture, and technology with flexible business and staffing models customized to your needs.
Solution Sustainability as a Service
We develop unique solutions aligned with the needs of your digital ecosystem and culture to support you along every step of your transformation journey.
Attract, Train and Retain Skilled Employees
We shift the administrative, financial, and regulatory burden off of your teams to help expand research portfolios, accelerate and strengthen negotiations, and streamline sponsored research management.
Digital Managed Services
Go beyond day-to-day troubleshooting and maintenance of your digital solutions and technology with managed services cloud platform support from Huron’s team of industry experts.
Resources
Supporting Resources
Detailed Comparison
Effort Certification Automation
Indirect Cost Recovery Features
Integration with Financial Systems
WorkdayCompany Information
API Resources
Description
Workday is a cloud-based software vendor that offers solutions in finance, HR, and analytics for organizations of all sizes. It leverages AI to provide advanced functionalities in financial planning, human capital management, and operations.
What They Do
Workday provides enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources.
Who They Serve
Workday serves a diverse range of clients including small to mid-sized businesses and Fortune 500 companies.
Key Value Propositions
Case Studies
Medidata Saves $1M+ Annually — Medidata
Find out how Medidata saves $1M+ annually in costs with a unified system.
Read Case Study →What Customers Say
"Workday has transformed our finance operations."
— CIO of Fortune 500 Company, Chief Information Officer
Customer Reviews
Erik Johnson
IT Manager
Workday provides a seamless HR experience from onboarding to payroll.
Target Customers
Industries Served
Trusted By
Contact Information
Key Pages
Navigation Links
Summary
Cloud-native grants management unified with finance, HR, and payroll to give real-time visibility into spend, effort, and compliance. Key capabilities include unallowable-spend controls, closeout tracking, effort certification, and clear audit trails.
Key Features
- Sourcing event management
- Supplier onboarding and management
- Contract lifecycle management
- Spend analysis software
- Flexible requisition approval workflows
- Customizable spending thresholds
- Automated expense reporting
- Inventory management
- Procure-to-pay automation
Key Benefits
- Increases control and visibility over organizational spend.
- Improves efficiency throughout the source-to-pay process.
- Automates labor-intensive tasks with AI (Workday Illuminate™).
- Provides real-time, contextual insights at the point of action.
- Flexible business process framework for custom workflows and thresholds.
- Streamlines supplier onboarding and contract management.
- Drives better outcomes through performance analysis.
Who Is It For
- Organizations seeking to optimize procurement and spend processes
- Finance and procurement teams
- Enterprises needing real-time spend insights
- Industries with complex sourcing and supplier management needs
Use Cases
- Running sourcing events
- Streamlining supplier onboarding
- Managing and analyzing contracts
- Automating expense reporting
- Optimizing inventory and procurement
- Customizing approval workflows and spending thresholds
SPEND MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Increase control, visibility, and insights all while improving efficiency throughout the source-to-pay process—it’s all possible with Workday Spend Management.
What Sets Us Apart
Spend management, streamlined. Take action with the right tools. Run sourcing events, streamline supplier onboarding, manage contracts, and analyze performance to drive better outcomes. Automate tasks to free up time. Our next-gen AI, Workday Illuminate™, automates labor-intensive tasks to make time for more meaningful work and strategic influence. Manage spend with better insights. Gain real-time contextual insights, giving you critical information at the point of action with our spend analysis software. Flexibility to do what you like. Change requisition approval workflows, spending thresholds, and more with our flexible business process framework.
- Run sourcing events
- Streamline supplier onboarding
- Manage contracts
- Analyze performance
- Automate labor-intensive tasks with AI
- Gain real-time contextual insights
- Flexible business process framework
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Manage spend, top to bottom. From optimizing contracts to reporting expenses while improving your bottom line in an unpredictable landscape—it’s easy to source and procure the goods and services you need with a platform like ours.
- Strategic Sourcing
- Contract Lifecycle Management
- Supplier Management
- Procure to Pay
- Inventory
- Expense Management
- VNDLY for Procurement
WHO SUCCEEDS WITH US
Our customers have the best stories.
- Unum: $2.5M annual maverick spend reduction
- Grand Valley State University: Sped up the requisition process from days to hours
- IGS Energy: 100% automated expense reporting
- Metropolitan Museum of Art: Saved 220% of its goal
RESOURCES
Spend management resources for you.
- Product Roadmap
- Customer Stories
- Resource Library
- Blog
- Financial Topics
Resources
Supporting Resources
Detailed Comparison
Effort Certification Automation
Indirect Cost Recovery Features
Integration with Financial Systems
EllucianCompany Information
API Resources
Description
Partnering with more than 2,800 customers across 50 countries, and serving 20 million students, Ellucian offers the most advanced ERP, SIS, and AI-driven solutions to power innovation for higher education.
What They Do
Ellucian provides a comprehensive suite of software solutions for higher education including ERP systems, Student Information Systems (SIS), and professional services.
Who They Serve
Higher education institutions around the world.
Key Value Propositions
Case Studies
Olivet Nazarene University — Olivet Nazarene
25% boost in new student enrollment with Ellucian CRM system.
Read Case Study →Colorado School of Mines — Colorado School of Mines
Live on Ellucian SaaS in 16 months.
Read Case Study →What Customers Say
"Ellucian has been a great partner in modernizing our enterprise systems."
— Anna Vakulick, Deputy CIO, George Washington University
"The Ellucian platform provides the best student information system in the market."
— Paul Fisher, CIO, Seton Hall University
Target Customers
Industries Served
Trusted By
Contact Information
Key Pages
Navigation Links
Summary
Higher‑ed‑specific ERP financials with grant‑management capabilities that provide real‑time visibility, budgeting, procurement, and accounting. The research accounting module supports grant ledgers, indirect cost calculations, receivables, and sponsor billing.
Key Features
- Centralized budgeting, forecasting, and reporting
- AI acceleration for grant management, expense approvals, and analytics
- Automated compliance reporting (GASB, FASB)
- Interactive dashboards and budget reports
- Open ecosystem with APIs and integration services
- No-code workflow builder
- Deep integration with strategic partners
- Configurable cards for digital experience
- Secure payment processing and cashless campus payments
Key Benefits
- Centralized financial management for transparency and accountability
- AI-powered grant management and predictive analytics
- Automated regulatory reporting and compliance with GASB and FASB standards
- Interactive dashboards and pre-built budget reports for smarter decision-making
- Reduced manual effort and improved data governance
- Open APIs and integration with Ellucian and third-party tools
- No-code workflows for broader staff participation
- Secure, fast, and PCI-compliant campus payments
Who Is It For
- Higher education institutions
- Finance departments in colleges and universities
- Department heads
- Research administrators
- Purchasing managers
Your Business is Our Business
Powered by Banner and Colleague, Ellucian Finance helps institutions achieve the critical business outcomes unique to higher education.
Purpose-Built Solutions Built For Higher Ed Finance
- Centralized Financial Management: Connects budgeting, forecasting, and reporting for transparency and accountability.
- AI Acceleration: AI-powered grant management, intelligent expense approvals, predictive analytics.
- Compliance With Confidence: Automates regulatory reports, aligns with GASB and FASB, reduces manual effort.
- Campuswide Financial Insights: Interactive dashboards, pre-built budget reports, greater visibility into financial health.
Maximize Financial Management for Higher Education
Unlock your institution’s financial potential with tools built for higher education — streamlining budgets, grants, assets, and spending while ensuring accuracy, compliance, and strategic growth.
- Powerful Platform Integrations: Predictive insights and tailored recommendations in a central work hub.
- Open Ecosystem: Open APIs, configurable cards, integration services for Ellucian and third-party tools.
- No-Code Workflows: Enables broader staff participation in finance processes.
Streamlined Finance Ecosystem
Ellucian Finance integrates deeply with key best-in-class strategic partners that extend the finance outcomes your institution can achieve.
- Ellucian Purchase: Manage spend and grow a diverse supply chain.
- Ellucian Supplier Management: Streamline sourcing and vendor collaboration.
- Ellucian Travel and Expense Management: Automate expense submission and reimbursement.
- Ellucian Payment Center by TouchNet: Secure, fast processing for all campus transactions.
- Ellucian OneCard VIP by TouchNet: Cashless, PCI-compliant campus payments.
Driving Smarter Financial Management with Ellucian Finance
Testimonial from Joliet Junior College on improved efficiency and accuracy.
- "The Ellucian solution has made our processes so much more efficient. Things are happening faster, and more accurately—and that allows us to do a lot more." – Roxanne Venegas, Purchasing Manager, Joliet Junior College
Ready to see Ellucian in action?
Whether you're exploring new technology or have specific questions, our experts are here to help.
Resources
Detailed Comparison
Effort Certification Automation
Indirect Cost Recovery Features
Integration with Financial Systems
CayuseCompany Information
Description
Cayuse empowers research organizations to conduct globally connected, efficient, and impactful scientific work. Our suite of connected apps covers the full research lifecycle, from proposal submission to funding management and protocol compliance.
What They Do
Cayuse offers a comprehensive, cloud-based platform to streamline research administration and support the advancement of research.
Who They Serve
Cayuse serves research institutions in various sectors, including higher education, healthcare, life sciences, nonprofit, government, and international markets.
Key Value Propositions
Case Studies
University of Northern Iowa — University of Northern Iowa
50% reduction in time spent on administration.
Read Case Study →La Jolla Institute for Immunology — La Jolla Institute for Immunology
Saved days in administrative tasks.
Read Case Study →Whitehead Institute — Whitehead Institute
Streamlines grant application input from manual to system-to-system.
Read Case Study →What Customers Say
"I've literally saved days. In the past it would take me most of the day placing animal orders. Now, it takes less than an hour."
— Client at La Jolla Institute for Immunology
"We use Cayuse system-to-system, so all of our grants go into Cayuse… Before Cayuse, someone would input all grant application data page by page."
— Client at Whitehead Institute
Target Customers
Industries Served
Trusted By
Contact Information
Summary
Modular cloud suite for sponsored projects management with Project Effort for automated effort certification and Fund Manager for PI portfolio visibility and projections. Designed to reduce administrative burden and improve compliance across the grant lifecycle.
Key Features
- Comprehensive cloud-based platform
- Connected suite of research administration apps
- Centralized task management
- Unified user data and access controls
- Built-in dashboards and analytics
- Regulatory compliance management (COI, IRB, IACUC, IBC)
- Vivarium management (procurement, inventory, billing, animal care, staff scheduling)
- Technology transfer management (inventions, commercialization support)
- Implementation and managed services
- Community and support resources
Key Benefits
- Streamlines research administration processes
- Covers the full research lifecycle (find funding, develop proposals, submit proposals, manage funds, manage operations, promote outcomes)
- Increases efficiency and accuracy
- Reduces risk and improves compliance
- Improves workplace satisfaction and collaboration
- Centralizes task management and user data
- Provides secure, reliable cloud storage and access controls
Who Is It For
- Higher Education
- Healthcare
- Life Sciences
- Nonprofit
- Government
- International research organizations
- Administrators and researchers
The Cayuse Suite
Cayuse offers a comprehensive, cloud-based platform designed to streamline research administration. Our suite of connected apps covers the full research lifecycle, from proposal submission to funding management and protocol compliance.
Who We Serve
Built to improve efficiency, accuracy, and collaboration, our solutions simplify tasks for administrators and researchers across a variety of industries and markets.
- Higher Education
- Healthcare
- Life Sciences
- Nonprofit
- Government
- International
Seamlessly manage grant and research lifecycles in one cloud-based suite
The Cayuse Suite includes the Cayuse Platform, Award Management, Compliance Management, Vivarium Management, and Technology Transfer modules.
- Centralized platform for research administration
- Award and grant management
- Regulatory compliance management
- Vivarium and animal care management
- Technology transfer and commercialization
A proven and trusted partner for transforming research administration
Cayuse supports organizations at all stages with implementation, services, and support. Customers join a community for connection and learning.
Data security is embedded in every part of our business.
Cayuse uses AWS cloud storage, is audited to SSAE 16, SOC 2, and PCIA standards, and is ISO 27001 certified. Secure network architecture limits access to authorized services and personnel.
- AWS cloud storage
- SSAE 16, SOC 2, PCIA, ISO 27001 certifications
- Secure network architecture
We’re committed to setting you up for success from day one.
Cayuse leads the market in completed implementations. The planning process ensures consistent results and efficient time-to-value, with in-house experts guiding requirements, data migration, and launch.
Amp up capacity and productivity with Cayuse on your team.
Value Added Services can be tailored to fit customer goals and maximize resources for key initiatives.
Let’s amplify your impact
Ready to connect? We’d love to give you a personalized overview of the Cayuse Suite.
Resources
Supporting Resources
Detailed Comparison
Effort Certification Automation
Indirect Cost Recovery Features
Integration with Financial Systems
OracleCompany Information
API Resources
Description
Oracle offers a complete suite of cloud applications delivering consistent processes and data across your business, as well as an automated, secure platform for migrating enterprise workloads and building new cloud native apps.
What They Do
Oracle provides cloud software and hardware solutions including ERP, HCM, and cloud infrastructure services.
Who They Serve
They serve businesses of all sizes across various industries seeking to leverage cloud technology for operational efficiency.
Key Value Propositions
Case Studies
Quest Diagnostics simplifies HR support with Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM — Quest Diagnostics
Embedded AI agents help the company’s 55,000 employees get faster answers to their routine HR questions.
Read Case Study →GoVivace moves from MongoDB to Oracle Autonomous AI Database — GoVivace
Migration helps provider of AI apps for call centers cut its data management and compute costs in half, simplify compliance.
Read Case Study →What Customers Say
"Oracle's solutions helped streamline our operations significantly."
— CIO of Vail Resorts, CIO
Customer Reviews
John Doe
IT Manager
Oracle has changed the way we handle our business processes.
Target Customers
Industries Served
Trusted By
Contact Information
Key Pages
Summary
A web-based grants administration solution that manages the full lifecycle from proposal through award, billing, and closeout. It supports facilities and administration (F&A) processing, comprehensive billing, and flexible financial reporting for research-intensive institutions.
Key Features
- Embedded artificial intelligence for productivity and efficiency breakthroughs
- Consistent processes and a single source of truth across business functions
- Comprehensive suite covering ERP, SCM, HCM, Marketing, Sales, and Service
- Modern user experience with the Redwood Design System
- Next-generation cloud infrastructure designed for SaaS applications
- Standards-based applications platform for easy extension, personalization, and integration
- Built-in AI Agents to drive efficiency, innovation, and growth
- Award-winning and recognized as a leader by industry analysts (Gartner, ISG Research)
Key Benefits
- Optimize business operations across all departments
- Make faster and better decisions with unified data and AI insights
- Increase business agility and ability to respond to change
- Enhance customer engagement and experience
- Future-proof business with continuous innovation
- Comprehensive support and best practices from Oracle Customer Success Services
Who Is It For
- Organizations of any industry seeking to modernize and optimize business processes
- Enterprises looking for integrated solutions for ERP, SCM, HCM, Marketing, Sales, and Service
- IT and business leaders aiming for better performance, increased security, and AI-driven automation
Oracle Cloud Applications
Our complete cloud suite of SaaS applications with embedded artificial intelligence bring consistent processes and a single source of truth across the most important business functions—from enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, and human capital management to customer experience. The applications help you improve your customer engagements, increase your business’s agility, and react to change faster than ever before.
Why customers love Oracle Cloud Applications
Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications have everything you need to optimize your business, make faster and better decisions, and outpace change. Best-of-breed apps for your entire business—in any industry, next-generation cloud infrastructure designed for SaaS applications, all on a standards-based applications platform to easily extend, personalize and integrate applications.
- Embedded AI to enable productivity and efficiency breakthroughs
- Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure are better together
- Modern user experience and beyond
- Innovation that matters
- Committed to your success
Explore Oracle Applications
Overview of the main application areas within Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications.
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
- Human Capital Management (HCM)
- Supply Chain & Manufacturing (SCM)
- Marketing
- Sales
- Service
Oracle Applications customer successes
See how leading companies around the world trust Oracle to run their mission-critical business functions.
- Baylor University modernized back office
- Caesars Entertainment is streamlining operations with fusion apps
- Hearst transforms back office in the cloud to support growth
- Hormel unifies finance and HR with Oracle Cloud Applications
- Wendy’s serves quality customer and employee experiences with Oracle Cloud
Resources
Detailed Comparison
Indirect Cost Recovery Features
Integration with Financial Systems
Our Ranking Methodology
How we rank these offerings
We ranked these fund accounting and grant management software for universities and research institutions handling federal grants, effort reporting, indirect cost recovery, and Uniform Guidance audit readiness in the USA using a weighted scoring formula: Integration with Financial Systems (25%), Effort Certification Automation (40%), Indirect Cost Recovery Features (35%). N/A values receive 0 points. Managed Services & Outsourcing scored highest with 94.5 due to its comprehensive integrations, advanced effort certification automation, and strong indirect cost recovery features. Companies with N/A values had reduced maximum scores.
Ranking Criteria Weights:
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the typical costs and pricing models for fund accounting and grant management software?
- The pricing models in this space often include subscription-based models and tiered pricing structures based on the number of users or the volume of transactions. Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications and Ellucian Finance offer scalable solutions that cater to varying institutional sizes, which impacts costs. Cayuse Suite's modular approach allows institutions to pay only for the modules they require, thereby providing cost-effective customization. Managed Services & Outsourcing typically incorporates bundle deals for end-to-end services, which can be more economical for larger institutions.
- What are the key selection criteria when choosing a fund accounting and grant management software?
- Key selection criteria include compliance capabilities with Uniform Guidance, real-time financial visibility, integration with existing ERP systems, and support for indirect cost recovery. For instance, Oracle Fusion Cloud's offerings provide comprehensive financial reporting and billing capabilities, while Spend Management emphasizes real-time visibility into compliance and spend. Ellucian Finance and Managed Services & Outsourcing provide higher-education-specific functionalities, essential for universities and research institutions.
- What are the industry standards and compliance requirements that these software solutions must meet?
- These solutions must adhere to the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) set forth by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which includes standards for federal awards, cost principles, and audit requirements. Spend Management and Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications include features that manage unallowable-spend controls and provide clear audit trails, supporting compliance. The Cayuse Suite and Managed Services & Outsourcing bolster compliance through automated effort certification, crucial for Uniform Guidance adherence.
- What are common implementation challenges for these software systems, and how can they be addressed?
- Common challenges include data migration, integration with existing systems, and user adoption. To address these, Oracle Fusion Cloud offers support for facilities and administration (F&A) processes, ensuring smooth data integration. Spend Management emphasizes unified platforms that merge finance, HR, and payroll, reducing integration hurdles. Providing comprehensive training and support, as seen with Ellucian Finance, helps institutions improve user adoption rates.
- How do these software solutions deliver ROI and value to research institutions?
- These systems deliver ROI by streamlining administrative tasks, ensuring compliance, and optimizing financial management. Managed Services & Outsourcing, with its end-to-end research administration, reduces overheads and improves ROI by enhancing personnel compensation compliance. Oracle Fusion Cloud and Spend Management solutions provide real-time data and insight, allowing institutions to make informed decisions and enhance fund utilization, ultimately maximizing grant opportunities.
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