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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-03-13
Example: Set Up Award Budget Checks for Total Grant

Example: Set Up Award Budget Checks for Total Grant

This example illustrates how to create a virtual parent-child plan structure on top of an existing award plan to implement budget check for the entire grant.
You're an award contract specialist for award AWD-129 at Alma Mater University (USA). The award already has a budget plan
AWD-129:STEM Infrastructure 07/01/2023 (version 0)
 with plan lines that:
  • Budget for spends in specific ledger accounts/summaries containing these worktags:
    • Cost Center: 4280 Natural Sciences
    • Fund: 02 Sponsored Program Fund
    • Grant: 129 STEM Initiatives
    • Program: 111 Science
  • Total 1,430,500 USD for all 3 fiscal years.
You want the budget check to:
  • Show a status of
    Warn (No Budget)
     when a transaction amount causes the total spend to exceed the budgeted amount for the specific worktag set and budgetary period.
  • Show a status of
    Fail (Insufficient Budget)
     when a transaction amount causes the total spend on the grant to exceed the total budgeted amount for the entire duration of the grant.
In a virtual parent-child plan structure for an award, the:
  • Child plan structure is the plan structure of the plan on the award.
  • Parent plan structure is a new plan structure that you create by copying from and linking to the child plan structure.
  • Create and approve award
    AWD-129: STEM Infrastructure 07/01/2023 (version 0)
    .
  • Add the
    Check Budget
     action step to the business processes of transaction types that you want to budget check when charging to grants. Example: To budget check accounting journals charged to grants, add the
    Check Budget
     step to the
    Accounting Journal Event
     business process.
  • Security:
    Set Up: Budget General
     domain in Budgets functional area.
  1. Access the
    Plan
     tab of award
    AWD-129: STEM Infrastructure 07/01/2023 (version 0)
    . If budget check is not enabled, configure and enable it:
    1. Click
      Edit Budget Check Options
       and select these values:
      Plan Structure
      Award
      Company
      Alma Mater University (USA)
      Plan Name
      AWD-129: STEM Infrastructure 07/01/2023 (version 0)
    2. Click
      OK
       and enter these values:
      Enable Budget Check
      Select
      Budget Check Option
      Warn
      , so that budget check displays only a warning when the spend amount exceeds the plan line amount.
      Evaluation Date
      Budget Date
      Cumulative Control Periods
      Select this check box and select the
      Control by Award Entry Period
       option if you want the unused budget to be added to the current period.
    3. Click
      OK
       and
      Done
      .
    4. Click
      Submit Budget
       and
      OK
      .
  2. Create a parent plan structure by copying the child plan structure:
    1. On the award
      Plan
       tab, locate the
      Award
       plan structure and access the related actions menu to select
      Plan Structure
      Copy
      :
      Name
      :
      Award AWD-129 Parent
      On the
      Structured Dimensions
       tab, remove the values in the
      Account Set
       and
      Account Type
       field.
      In the
      Structure Dimension
       grid, remove all rows except
      Grant
       and
      Company
      .
    2. Click
      OK
      .
    3. From the related actions menu of the
      Award AWD-129 Parent
       plan structure, select
      Plan Structure
      Link Child Plan Structure
      .
      Virtual Child Plan Structure
      :
      Award
    4. Click
      OK
      .
  3. Create a plan template for the parent plan structure:
    1. From the related actions menu of the
      Award AWD-129 Parent
       plan structure, select
      Plan Template
      Create Plan Template
       and select these values:
      Field
      Value
      Plan Structure
      Award AWD-129 Parent
      Company
      Alma Mater University (USA)
      Plan Name
      Award AWD-129 Parent Plan
      Start Date
      07/01/2023
      End Date
      06/30/2026
      Linked Plan
      AWD-129: STEM Infrastructure 07/01/2023 (version 0)
    2. Click
      OK
      .
  4. Enable budget check for the total grant on the parent plan structure:
    1. From the related actions menu of the
      Award AWD-129 Parent
       plan structure, select
      Plan
      Edit Budget Check Options
       and enter these values:
      Plan Structure
      Award AWD-129 Parent
      Plan Name
      Award AWD-129 Parent Plan
    2. Click
      OK
       and select these values:
      Enable Budget Check
      Select
      Include Reserved Journal Lines
      Select
      Allow Credit Transactions to Pass
      Select
      Budget Check Option
      Control
      , so that budget check displays a
      Fail
       status when the spend amount exceeds the total grant budget.
      Evaluation Date
      Budget Date
      Cumulative Control Periods
      Select this check box, and select the
      Control by Award Entry Period
       option.
      Ledger Types for Budget Check
      Select
      Actuals
      ,
      Encumbrance
      , and
      Pre-Encumbrance
      .
    3. Click
      OK
       and
      Done
      .
When you create a spend transaction that's subject to budget check (with worktags as specified on the plan lines, including Cost Center: 4280 Natural Sciences, Fund: 02 Sponsored Program Fund, Grant: 129 STEM Initiatives, Program: 111 Science), and the transaction amount causes the total spend amount to exceed:
  • The plan line budget but not the total grant budget of 1,430,500 USD, the
    Review Budget Check
     task displays a budget check status of
    Warn (No Budget)
     with 1 row on the
    Plan With Exceptions
     grid for the child plan structure (
    Award
    ).
  • The plan line budget as well as the total grant budget of 1,430,500 USD, the
    Review Budget Check
     task displays a budget check status of
    Fail (Insufficient Budget)
     with 2 rows on the
    Plan With Exceptions
     grid, 1 for the child plan structure (
    Award
    ) and 1 for the parent plan structure (
    Award AWD-129 Parent
    ).