Researcher Laments Poor UX in Grant Portals
In a recent interview on the “Academic Life in Europe” podcast, a biologist from Porto expressed frustration with the user experience of academic grant portals. The researcher complained about unintuitive interfaces and inconsistent documentation, stating, "Sometimes it feels like the system is designed for the funder, not the applicant." The sentiment highlights persistent pain points for researchers navigating complex application processes.
- A 2023 survey of high school students revealed their top frustrations with higher education websites were difficulty finding specific program information, confusing admission process directions, and hard-to-use navigation. Common technical issues for users on these sites include slow loading times and browser compatibility problems. - User research in governmental settings faces unique hurdles, such as prohibitions on directly recruiting participants, which can significantly slow down the research process. Additionally, frequent and detailed reporting requirements are common in government contracts. - The UK's GOV.UK Design System is a key example of promoting consistency and accessibility across government digital services, and it is now used by hundreds of departments. This system provides reusable, pre-tested components which saves teams time and money. - Estonia provides 99% of its public services online, 24/7, a culmination of a digital transformation journey that began in the late 1990s. This digital model is estimated to save the country 844 years of working time annually. - The European Union's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility. Public sector bodies in the UK are required to meet WCAG 2.2 level AA, which is based on four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. - Artificial intelligence is being integrated into grant management to streamline processes by automating application reviews, summarizing data, and generating reports. AI tools can also assist applicants with text suggestions and translation support. - A common mistake in grant application design is including too many irrelevant or mandatory questions, which can overwhelm applicants and lead to lower-quality responses. Providing real-time feedback for errors within the form can significantly reduce user frustration and delays. - The EU-funded inGOV project developed a framework to help public administrations create more user-centric and integrated digital services. Pilot cases included a "Digital Common Household Unit Public Service" in Malta to reduce siloed data and a virtual assistant for various public services in Bjelovar, Croatia.
