Symplectic Grant Tracker

Pros

We have found Grant Tracker to be an incredibly versatile system that has grown and evolved with our requirements over the years and continues to do so.

As a research funder, we always want to ensure that the application process is as simple as possible for researchers to use so they spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on science. Grant Tracker has delivered on this with feedback from applicants indicating that they find it easy and intuitive to use. Reviewers and committee members alike also find it user-friendly. This is important factor for us in order to maintain relationships with high level stakeholders.

From an administrator’s point of view, the system supports end-to-end management of the grant lifecycle - application, peer review, contracts and progress reporting. As our external users find it easy to use, we spend little time supporting them.

Cons

Absence of user manuals to help train new staff was a little bit tricky within a small team. However, CC Grant Tracker has an amazing support team who fill this gap. They are always on hand to answer questions from new and existing staff who always feel well supported.

Pros

Strong and creative support from CCT project management and development staff
Easy access to support services – even from the US
Cost effective licenses and fees
Flexible – can be configured for pre and/or post award use
Hearty – little to no unplanned downtime

Cons

Lengthy implementation when migrating from a completely customized product
Not completely intuitive – requires 100% of one full-time employee manager
Software that addresses US audit sensitivities still evolving

Pros

CC Grant Tracker provides a system which is fully operational and it covers almost every function and task from simple to complex for grants management. It supports almost every aspect that our organisation requires, from the call preparation, proposal submission, meeting preparation, application review, submission of mid-term and final reports, mass and automate e-mails and more. The system’s environment is well organized with a number of automated functions and tasks. It also provides all the data of each and every grant phase. Moreover, the support is considered impeccable, with weekly-base meetings and constant and direct briefing of all pending issues as well as on the design of new functions that are required by personalizing the system for the organization.

Cons

A major drawback of the system is the lack of settings to customise export data beyond the data from the search filters. It would be very useful if CC Grant Tracker could develop ways to make the system more flexible for customers with regards to monitoring/reports/data export. Although, CC technology has many international customers, the system appears based around the UK peer review system and way of working. The system time settings are based on UK time, which can be confusing for international or European applicants and organisations. Finally, the lack of a manual that will describe all the processes is a disadvantage too. Nevertheless, the helpdesk is really good with developers answer any question directly by explaining the functions of the system (which in some cases are very complex) while in case of errors, the rectification is immediate.

Pros

CC Grant Tracker is well designed to facilitate the management of research applications and grant funding. As a research funding organisation, we use this system to process and review large volumes of research proposals as it provides a straight forward and secure way for us to manage our grant funding activities.

Cons

The capturing and reporting of outcomes and impact from the projects we manage through the system is a little tricky, particularly analysing the data at an aggregated portfolio level (however this is something that has been improving in recent years!).

Pros

Full grants management cycle software - we use it for processing grant applications, review, award, processing & paying claims, and monitoring of the grants

Cons

As one of the original users of this software we now have some bespoke functionality that needs updating and brought in line with newer customers.