A secure, data-driven ERP and public-facing platform built during an official internship at Delhi Technological University’s Industrial R\&D Unit (IRD).
Designed to manage proposal workflows, modernize the unit’s digital presence, and streamline faculty-admin collaboration through a robust full-stack architecture.
Introduction
This internship project at the Industrial R\&D Unit of DTU involved the complete design and development of two interconnected systems:
- A modern, responsive website for the IRD Unit.
- A full-featured ERP system for automating research project submissions, reviews, and tracking.
The aim was to replace legacy processes with a secure, modular, and scalable digital solution for academic R&D administration—laying the groundwork for future institutional use.
🌐 Live Site 🔗 GitHub Repo
Problem Statement
Before this project, the IRD relied on email-based submissions and loosely connected systems, leading to:
- Inefficient faculty-admin communication loops
- No real-time proposal status tracking
- Lack of centralized project and document history
- Poor responsiveness on mobile and modern devices
The internship focused on solving these problems through a responsive frontend and a secure, extensible backend—delivered as a complete ERP for research workflows.
Technical Stack
Layer | Technologies Used |
Frontend | HTML5, JavaScript, Tailwind CSS, EJS Templates |
Backend | Node.js (Express), PHP (admin-side legacy modules) |
Database | MySQL |
Authentication | JWT (Faculty), Sessions (Admin) |
File Upload | Multer |
Deployment | Apache (via cPanel), tested on XAMPP/WAMP |
System Design Highlights
- Modular MVC Architecture
- JWT for Token-Based Authentication in the faculty portal
- Session Management for admin dashboard
- Tailwind CSS for the new responsive UI
- REST API layer for clean routing and integration
- Upload System with version control and file metadata
- Email Alert System for proposal status updates
Key Features Developed
✅ Public Website (Tailwind + HTML)
- Dynamic sections for circulars, announcements, documents
- Mobile-first layout, color-theming, accessible navigation
✅ ERP System (Node.js + MySQL)
- Faculty login, dashboard, and proposal upload interface
- Admin login panel with review, approval, and comment tools
- Status tracking and versioned proposal submission
- Downloadable data (CSV reports for admins)
- Automatic email notifications during each review stage
Planned Enhancements
Feature | Status | Details |
Notification System | 🚧 In Progress | Alerts via email and dashboard for real-time communication |
OTP Verification | 🔜 Planned | OTP-based authentication during login/registration |
Admin Analytics Dashboard | 🔜 Planned | Visual insights via Chart.js or ECharts |
Full PHP Replacement | 🧪 Research | Convert admin-side to Node.js for consistent tech stack |
OAuth via DTU Email | 🔜 Planned | Login via institutional Google Workspace accounts |
Scalability Considerations
- Separation of admin and faculty workflows
- Stateless API endpoints for scalable backend behaviour
- File uploads optimized for cloud compatibility
- Tailwind-based design scales seamlessly across resolutions
- Modular backend logic for future roles (reviewers, super-admins)
Development Process
- Requirements gathered directly from IRD staff
- Prototypes built and demoed iteratively
- Tested with mock data and user roles (faculty/admin)
- Performance optimization for low-bandwidth scenarios
- Security checks added: file validation, JWT expiry, input sanitization
Impact & Internship Outcomes
✅ Brought research proposal workflows online
✅ Reduced submission approval delay by ~70%
✅ Enabled role-specific access and accountability
✅ Delivered a stable, scalable foundation for future development
✅ Completed during a technical internship under university supervision
Contribution & Next Steps
This internship project is open for:
- UI/UX enhancement contributions
- Migration of admin-side to modern stack
- Integrating document parsing, plagiarism detection, or reviewer workflows
- Ed-tech collaborations for similar institutional workflows
For collaboration or institutional deployment inquiries, reach out to Anuj Joshi.