Why Modern Fellowships Need Modern Technology

Your goal is to create engaging opportunities for bright minds may be straightforward, but often the process to select fellows is anything but. To ensure quality applications, fair reviews, and in-depth program reporting, a fellowship management system needs to be in play.

Fellowships are extremely competitive, and your organization is likely to attract a large volume of candidates with a wealth of experiences and qualifications. But with that wealth comes a lot of paperwork: from resumes to recommendations, and everything in between. 

Because of this, streamlined, user-focused fellowship management software has become indispensable: Not only do organizations need a platform that makes it easy for qualified applicants to submit a large amount of material — they need a system that makes it easy for everyone in their selection committee to review that material. 

With the costs of higher education continually rising, students are always looking for ways to supplement the cost. Fellowships can provide crucial funding as well as practical experience, professional experience, and the ability to perform research. This gift can support crucial academic work and research in a variety of fields. Because of the value of a fellowship, you want to choose recipients with care. This starts with having a streamlined fellowship application system. 

Look for a user-friendly fellowship application software

A clean, user-friendly fellowship application system makes it easy for applicants to submit a variety of materials online in a timely fashion by:

• Monitoring word counts for written materials such as essays
• Keeping busy students apprised of submission deadlines
• Sending text or email confirmations when submissions are received
• Automating requests for transcripts and recommendations

Remember, one of the primary purposes of fellowships is to provide funding so that talented students and professionals can dedicate their valuable time to their work. A modernized fellowship application software helps decrease the time spent on applying for fellowships.

Your system should be user-friendly for reviewers, too

Because of the aforementioned volume of applicants, your organization is likely to receive a large amount of application materials. While this represents a great opportunity for your organization to explore a host of talented applicants, it can be an administrative nightmare if your system doesn’t support the orderly collection, distribution and review of these materials. 

Here are some features to look for in a fellowship management software that can optimize the process:

1. A simple reviewer portal. Forget the days of drowning in documents, manually entering data, and chasing down emails. The ideal system puts all of this information in one place for easy access by reviewers. 
2. No manual data input. A streamlined, automated system extracts data from the application form and eliminates data entry errors on the organization’s end. 
3. Customizable workflows and review processes. You can design each stage of review and control scoring methods. This ensures uniform, easily tallied scores from each reviewer when it’s time to make your selection. 
4. Side-by-side layout. This enables reviewers to view the application during the scoring process. This is a unique feature that cuts down on a tremendous amount of time and allows reviewers to focus their full attention on each application. 
5. The ability to manage multiple grants. Look for a system that can be customized to your application requirements, from simple to complex. If you offer multiple programs, such as internships and grants, in addition to fellowships, choose a platform that can manage these different streams. 

Streamlined fellowship management software benefits everyone

Ultimately, a sophisticated fellowship management system benefits booth your applicants and your selections committee...and saves time for both parties. 

A simple, easy-to-use fellowship application platform reflects well on your organization and can be an additional draw to help you attract the best and the brightest candidates. Materials will be submitted in an organized, timely fashion that allows each applicant — and their work — to shine.

Likewise, automated information and document intake and a streamlined review process will make it easier for your selection committee to learn more about your candidates and ensure that your selection is the best fit for your organization.