Project Desk: An Automated Role-based Project Allocation and Management System using MERN Stack

Abstract

Project allocation and monitoring are integral components of project-based learning and play an important role in the college experience. However, managing these processes can be time-consuming and administratively demanding. In many institutions, activities such as team formation, mentor allocation, and progress tracking continue to rely on spreadsheets and manual documentation, resulting in inefficient and fragmented processes. Managing hundreds of students and dozens of deadlines can make it easy for important tasks to be overlooked, leaving both students and faculty feeling disconnected and overwhelmed. This paper presents Project Desk, an automated, role-based web application developed using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js) to streamline the complete project allocation lifecycle. The system provides separate dashboards for students, project coordinators, and mentors, enabling structured workflows, secure authentication using JSON Web Tokens (JWT), and efficient document handling through Multer. Students can propose new project ideas or select from a project bank, coordinators can review proposals and schedule interviews, and mentors can monitor progress and provide feedback. The proposed system improves efficiency, reduces manual effort, enhances transparency, and ensures systematic project monitoring. Experimental evaluation shows that Project Desk significantly outperforms traditional manual methods in terms of time management, communication efficiency, and data organization.