Saving Admin Time for the Mirzayan Fellowship
Category
Fellowships
Industry
Research
The Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program modernized its application and review process with RQ Platform, reducing administrative effort while increasing awareness and applicant engagement. The result was a significantly improved experience for applicants, reviewers, and program administrators—and a dramatic increase in completed applications.
Overview
The Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program modernized its application and review process with RQ Platform, reducing administrative effort while increasing awareness and applicant engagement. The result was a significantly improved experience for applicants, reviewers, and program administrators—and a dramatic increase in completed applications.
Program impact
180% Increase in Total Applications
Process change
145% Increase in Final Applications
Scalable growth
244% Increase in visits to Fellowship Page
Introduction
Launched in 1997, the Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program is a full-time, hands-on training and educational program that provides early career individuals with the opportunity to spend 12 weeks at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Washington, DC learning about science and technology policy and the role that scientists and engineers play in advising the nation.
Challenges
Administrative Overload
The existing application system burdened administrators with managing incomplete applications, handling submission complaints, and aggregating scores and comments from reviewers.
Eligibility Criteria Complexity
Verifying eligibility criteria for each application added layers of complexity to the process, demanding meticulous attention to detail.
Committee Review Struggles
The review process was cumbersome, involving manual review of folders, reference letters, and attachments, leading to subjective evaluations.
Data Reporting Difficulty
Efficient reporting and ensuring data accuracy from various sources posed a significant challenge.
Low Number of Applicants
Although the Fellowship had been established for several years, the number of final applications submitted was low.
Solution
User-Friendly Application Process
Introduced an online form with organisation-branded simplicity, streamlining the application process and enhancing applicant awareness of their status.
Customized Review Process
Simplified reviewer access to applications with a side-by-side view, integrating reference letters, uploaded content, and a scoresheet based on program review rubrics.
Automated Email Scheduler
Enabled automated reminder emails to recommenders and applicants, improving communication and deadline adherence.
Enhanced Reporting
Introduced easy reporting and tracking of incomplete applications, identification of draft applications, streamlined follow-ups, along with charts for easy access to analytics and key metrics
Integrated Reporting Tools
Integrated the Fellowship system with Google Analytics helped to understand the source of web traffic and whether marketing efforts were working
Social Media Outreach
Created a dedicated Twitter account along with the organisation’s LinkedIn account help to broaden the awareness of the program to its target audience in STEM.
Results
Increased Number of Applications
Achieved an increase of 180% in final applications submitted by the end of the application cycle as compared to the previous year.
Quality Applicant Pool
Ensured a quality applicant pool by utilizing the RQ Fellowship eligibility filtering automation.
Improved Applicant Experience
Enhanced the applicant experience and retention based on insights from withdrawn applications.
Increase in Website Visitors
Exponentially increased program outreach and awareness through social media, resulting in a 244% increase in visitors, engagement from potential applicants, and support from Fellowship alumni.
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