Accounts are identified using project, task, and award (PTA) numbers. The process and tools for requesting PTAs, maintaining PTAs, and closing PTAs varies by account type (e.g., non-sponsored, sponsored, capital project, service center). The PTA Manager system enables schools and departments to initiate, approve, and track PTA setup requests and initiate close requests for non-sponsored and miscellaneous accounts receivable accounts. PTA Maintenance, a subcomponent of PTA Manager, allows schools and departments to update PTA attributes for existing accounts.
Launching July 20, 2026: The new PTAC In-Service Date module in PTA Manager enables departments to directly manage their capital project in-service dates.
Sponsored research accounts are initiated using the Stanford Electronic Research Administration (SeRA) system.
About
PTA Manager
PTA Manager is an online, easy-to-use tool that enables schools and departments to request, approve, and track account (PTA) setup and close requests.
Features and benefits include:
- Automated Workflow Routing
Routes PTA requests through one or multiple approver(s) and FYI contacts and notifies the appropriate fund accountant when the request is ready for processing. - Transparency
Provides visibility into the status of each PTA request and the individuals participating in the workflow (requestor, approver, and fund accounting). - Accuracy
Utilizes system controls and validations to ensure data entered by campus users and central administration is accurate. - Documentation Repository
Maintains uploaded donor documents that can be easily accessed for review.
PTA Manager is integrated with the Gift Transmittal system. When a gift requires a new fund or PTA, Gift Transmittal will send an email notification to the designated department administrator with instructions to log in to PTA Manager and complete the PTA setup. To learn more, refer to Record Donor Gifts.
PTA Maintenance
PTA Maintenance is a subcomponent of PTA Manager used by schools and departments to update PTA attributes for existing PTAs.
Features and benefits include:
- Transparency
The At a Glance summary page enables users to drill into the exact PTA segments which require action. PTA Maintenance allows users to view all scheduled update transactions, completed update transactions, and the attribute update history of specific PTAs. - Accuracy
Utilizes system controls to ensure data entered by campus users and central administration is accurate and complete. - Flexibility
Attribute changes can be scheduled to take place either immediately or on a future date. - Time Savings
Mass updates of multiple PTAs can be made with a single transaction. - System Alerts
System-generated emails alert users when manager and owner values become invalid, when updates take effect, and when PTA segments need to be reassigned from a parent org to a child org (orgs must be assigned at the lowest level possible).
Visit the Newsroom for recent announcements and subscribe to receive future PTA Manager updates and enhancements.
Access
Departments are responsible for granting and updating authority privileges. Budget unit financial officers can grant PTA Manager and PTA Maintenance authority privileges (summarized in the following table) using Authority Manager. The role and associated privileges you are assigned in Authority Manager determine the tasks you can perform in PTA Manager and PTA Maintenance. Note that in PTA Manager and PTA Maintenance, you will have access to accounts (PTAs) as defined in your OBI Financial Reporting authority.
PTA Manager Authority | PTA Maintenance Authority |
|---|---|
SU PTA Manager Requester Non-Sponsored If you are responsible for requesting PTAs, you will need SU PTA Manager Requester Non-Sponsored authority. This role allows you to request new PTA accounts, upload documents, designate approval routings and track PTA setup progress. Using this role you can also add new project(s) and/or task(s) to existing accounts. | SU PTA Maintenance If you are required to update PTA attributes "owned" at the school or department levels, you will need SU PTA Maintenance authority. |
SU PTA Manager Approver Non-Sponsored If you are responsible for review and approval of PTA requests, you will need SU PTA Manager Approver Non-Sponsored authority. PTA Manager Approver authority allows the same capabilities as PTA User authority, along with the ability to electronically approve or return PTA requests to the initiator. | SU PTA Maintenance (Limited) If you only need to maintain Manager and Email Distribution Flag values at the department level, you will need SU PTA Maintenance (Limited) authority. |
SU PTA Manager View Non-Sponsored This role allows those individuals who do not request or approve PTAs, the ability to view and/or obtain status of requests submitted for their department. SU PTA Manager View Non-Sponsored authority is required. | |
SU PTA Manager Capital Distributed User This role allows individuals to manage capital project in-service dates and initiate requests to close or cancel capital project PTAs and General Use Permit (GUP) non-capital project PTAs. | |
SU PTA Manager Cap Distributed Approver If you are responsible for preparing, reviewing, or approving capital project PTA and GUP non-capital project PTA closeout and cancellation requests, you will need SU PTA Manager Cap Distributed Approver authority. This role includes the same capabilities as SU PTA Manager Capital Distributed User, and also allows approvers to initiate a request and route it to another Cap Distributed Approver for transaction approval. |
To identify individuals in your organization who are authorized to grant PTA Manager or PTA Maintenance authority, follow instructions on the UIT website to find people who can grant you authority in Authority Manager.
If you have questions about individual assignments, please contact your school or department budget officer.
Training is required for new PTA Manager and PTA Maintenance users and approvers. See the following Learning section.
Learning
Training is available for the PTA Manager, PTA Maintenance, and Capital Distributed user types listed below.
PTA Manager User and Approver
FIN-0201: Requesting PTAs Using PTA Manager and its pre-requisites are required for individuals responsible for requesting new PTAs using PTA Manager.
PTA Maintenance User
FIN-0202: Maintaining PTA Attributes Using PTA Manager and its pre-requisites are required for individuals responsible for updating PTA attributes using PTA Manager.
PTA Manager Capital Distributed User
The Capital Project In-Service Reports learning supplement features reporting and drill-down options that support PTAC In-Service project monitoring and oversight.
How tos
| Category | How-to Instructions |
|---|---|
| Oracle Fundamentals | |
| PTA Manager for Non-sponsored and Miscellaneous Account Receivables Accounts | PTA Manager Requester Non-Sponsored
PTA Manager Approver Non-Sponsored |
| PTA Maintenance for Non-sponsored, Sponsored and Miscellaneous Account Receivables Accounts | PTA Maintenance
|
| PTA Manager for Capital Project Accounts | PTA Manager Capital Distributed User |
Resources
- Project, Task, and Award Attributes Job Aid - A document that provides a complete list of attributes associated with projects, tasks, and awards in Oracle Financials.
- Organization Code Hierarchy Tool - A tool that provides a tree view of the organizational code hierarchy at Stanford University.
- Common Browser Issues and Resolutions
Reporting
Viewing PTA Details
There are several inquiry and reporting tools that can be used to research PTA details. To learn more about researching PTA details using the Fund Title Query Tool and the OBI Reference Data and Inquiry Dashboard, refer to View PTA Details.
Financial Approval Authority Query
Use the Financial Approval Authority Query to find authorized approvers for a project, task, or an award. This is particularly useful to those verifying authority offline.
- Translate the approval authority entered in Authority Manager to how it is used in Oracle Financials.
- View scope, limit, and contact information for approvers.