Budget Justification Generator

Automatically generates budget justification documents from NAU Excel budget templates in both LaTeX and Microsoft Word (.docx) formats.

Download

Download the latest release

Platform	Download	Notes
macOS	BudgetJustificationGenerator-macOS.zip	Signed and notarized, runs immediately
Windows	BudgetJustificationGenerator-Windows.zip	Click "More info" → "Run anyway" on first launch

Installation

macOS

1. Download BudgetJustificationGenerator-macOS.zip from the latest release
2. Unzip the file
3. Drag Budget Justification Generator.app to your Applications folder
4. Double-click to run

The app is signed and notarized by Apple, so it will open without any security warnings.

Windows

1. Download BudgetJustificationGenerator-Windows.zip from the latest release
2. Extract the zip file to a folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\Budget Justification Generator)
3. Double-click Budget Justification Generator.exe to run
4. On first launch, Windows SmartScreen may appear:
   • Click "More info"
   • Click "Run anyway"
   • This only happens once

Budget Requirements

1. Do not modify the template structure (e.g., removing rows, renaming sheets)
2. Use the "Travel Calculator" sheet if you want travel tables to be generated

Usage

1. Select Excel File: Click "Browse" to select your NAU budget Excel file
2. Select Output Location: Choose where to save the generated files (defaults to Desktop)
3. Generate: Click "Generate Budget Justification"
4. Done: The app creates both .tex (LaTeX) and .docx (Word) files

Try It Out

An example budget file (ExampleBudget.xlsx) is included in this repository for you to test the application.

NAU Budget Templates

Download official NAU budget templates from the Office of Sponsored Projects.

Output Files

The generator creates two files:

Format	Use Case
LaTeX (.tex)	Upload to Overleaf for professional PDF output
Word (.docx)	Edit directly in Microsoft Word or Google Docs

Both files contain the same content with proper formatting, TODO highlights for sections requiring customization, and all standard budget justification sections (A-J).

Features

• Generates professional budget justifications from NAU Excel templates
• Supports 3, 5, and 10-year project budgets
• Outputs both LaTeX (.tex) and Word (.docx) formats
• Automatic fringe benefit calculations with individual ERE rates
• Smart formatting with year ranges (e.g., "2.0 in Years 2-5")
• Professional tables and structured sections
• TODO items highlighted in red (PDF) and yellow (Word) for easy identification
• Bundled Pandoc - no additional software installation required

Generated Sections

The output includes all standard NIH budget justification sections:

• A. Senior Personnel - PI, Co-PIs, Senior Personnel
• B. Other Personnel - GRAs, Postdocs, Students, Staff
• C. Fringe Benefits - Individual ERE rates and totals
• D. Equipment - Equipment over $5,000
• E. Travel - Domestic and international travel with tables
• F. Participant Support Costs - Trainee support
• G. Other Direct Costs - Materials, consultants, publication costs, tuition, subawards
• H. Total Direct Costs - Sum of A-G
• I. Indirect Costs - F&A costs with MTDC calculation
• J. Total Project Costs - Overall budget total

Command Line Usage (Advanced)

For automation or scripting, you can use the Python script directly:

# Install dependencies
pip3 install openpyxl python-docx

# Generate budget justification
python3 generate_budget_justification.py MyBudget.xlsx

# With options
python3 generate_budget_justification.py MyBudget.xlsx -o output_folder -v

Note: Command line usage requires Python 3.6+ and Pandoc for DOCX generation.

Compiling LaTeX to PDF

Option 1: Overleaf (Recommended)

1. Go to Overleaf and create an account
2. Create a new project → Upload Project
3. Upload the generated .tex file
4. Click "Recompile" to generate PDF

Option 2: Local Compilation

If you have LaTeX installed locally:

xelatex MyBudget_BudgetJustification.tex
xelatex MyBudget_BudgetJustification.tex

(Run twice to resolve cross-references)

Troubleshooting

macOS: "App is damaged" or won't open

This shouldn't happen with the signed release. If it does:

xattr -cr "/Applications/Budget Justification Generator.app"

Windows: SmartScreen blocks the app

Click "More info" → "Run anyway". This is normal for new applications without an expensive code signing certificate.

Excel file not recognized

Ensure your Excel file uses the standard NAU budget template structure with these sheets:

• Budget Details
• Summary_of_Personnel Costs
• Cumulative
• Travel Calculator
• Rates

Building from Source

For developers who want to build the application themselves:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/NAU-CS/BudgetJustificationGenerator.git
cd BudgetJustificationGenerator

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Build with PyInstaller
python -m PyInstaller budget_justification_gui.spec

Support

For questions about budget preparation, contact the NAU Office of Sponsored Projects.

For issues with this application, open an issue on GitHub.

License

MIT License - Created by Jared Duval