Don’t get us wrong. The scientific research process is incredibly exciting and meaningful. Together, we’re developing breakthrough methods and treatments that will help our society thrive in years and decades to come. Together, we’re exploring, iterating, and pushing beyond the boundaries of scientific innovation. And together, we’re imagining what might be possible for the future.
But this is also an exceptionally complex process. There are numerous common pain points throughout the grants management experience that underpins scientific research. And we must navigate efficiently and elegantly through them in pursuit of scientific impact.
So how do we optimize? What can we do to ensure a seamless experience?
Let’s dig into the six most prevalent challenges for funders. And, more importantly, let’s review how ProposalCentral solves grant funder pain points.
1. Bottlenecks & Inefficiencies
The grants management cycle involves a number of stages and stakeholders. And with each layer, the likelihood of holdups or inefficiencies increases. Particularly when institutions use manual systems like static spreadsheets or foldering systems to capture and organize key documentation. These sorts of bottlenecks can create confusion, stall progress, and ensure frustration rather than flow.
With ProposalCentral, funders can manage the entire grants management process through flexible, automation-friendly workflows and AI-based decision support tools. That means no more time wasted on manual management or stakeholder holdups.
2. Communication & Coordination Issues
Stakeholders. Partners. Researchers. Funders. Peer reviewers. The list goes on. There are countless invested parties involved in the grant management process from award to impact and beyond. And with each individual or institution involved, the potential for miscommunication goes up.
With ProposalCentral, funders can connect, collaborate, and cooperate with the entire research ecosystem in an open platform purpose-built for the cloud. That means flexible reminders and notifications. It means at-your-fingertips access to the right stakeholders for each stage of the journey. And it means a more effectively optimized communication network across the board.
3. Resourcing & Workflow Challenges
It’s difficult enough to manage a single grant award workflow effectively. Add a whole array of grants and awards to the ecosystem, and the likelihood of missteps increases exponentially. Staff members could lose important data or encounter challenges when trying to record and report each grant’s progress. Plus, institutions are often understaffed or stretched from an administrative perspective, which leads to overwork, stress, and the inevitability of errors.
With ProposalCentral, funders can breathe a sigh of relief. With workflow automation, elegant dashboards for viewing the entire active grant ecosystem, and seamless platform updates along the way, our cloud-native solution is tailor-made to battle overwhelm and maximize funder effectiveness at scale.
For more on optimizing workflows, check out our recent resource article, “Smarter [FASTER] Funding Decisions Through Streamlined Workflows.”
Smarter [FASTER] Funding Decisions Through Streamlined Workflows
4. Resourcing & Workflow Challenges
Staying on top of compliance and regulatory protocols can often feel like a thorn in your side. Creating and running the required reports is time-consuming and complex, and the likelihood of encountering changes or emerging regulatory requirements is basically a given. Missing something simply isn’t an option, as compliance failures can lead to potential fines, penalties, or loss of funds.
With ProposalCentral, funders can access and manage everything in one place—and a team of support and training experts is on call when you need it. Configurable workflows, automated application assignments, and scheduling of payment and reports mean funding teams can achieve new levels of efficiency. And automated error checking ensures grants stay on track every step of the way.
5. Inconsistent Templates & Reporting
It’s only natural for funders to seek reporting to track how grant funds are being used and scientific explorations are progressing. But manually generated templates or arbitrary reporting methodologies can create inconsistency and inefficiency. Failure to report isn’t an answer. Incomplete or inaccurate reporting isn’t either. And when reporting goes awry, funders and researchers alike run the risk of misaligning on ROI or mistaking how much funding remains.
With ProposalCentral, consistency is assured. With templates for every stage of the grants management process, aligning workflows at scale has never been easier. The platform promises effortless deliverable configuration and even email templates to maximize the cohesion of communications every step of the way.
For more on maximizing ROI, check out our recent resource article, “How to Maximize the Return on Your Research Investment.”
6. Difficulty With Impact Tracking
Nothing’s more important than being able to capture, analyze, and optimize research impact. This is our true north. This is what we’re all striving for. And when we leave impact reporting to arbitrary processes or instinctive estimates, we run the risk of missing key learnings or connections.
With ProposalCentral, funders gain unmatched visibility into outcomes and impact, identify rising stars in the research ecosystem, and access clear reporting for donors and boards. Plus, built-in ORCID integration means it’s never been easier for funders to stay connected to their researchers’ accomplishments and evaluate the impact of programs long after individual grants have ended. From the application process to outcome assessment, ProposalCentral empowers invaluable visibility into the impact of funding every step of the way.
For a deeper dive into all of ProposalCentral’s capabilities, visit the product overview page on our website.
When we can solve challenges and pain points across the grant lifecycle, we create boundless value for the scientific research community. Because here at Altum, our mission goes way beyond simplifying and automating grants management. Sure, we do that. And we do it well. Our mission is to empower smarter funding decisions faster. To help you understand and communicate your impact. And to ensure you maximize your outcomes and accelerate your mission.
Let’s make it happen, together.
