Multitrack competitions have all the components of a regular competition, with the added ability of being able to send applications down a certain "track", based on an initial gating question. Administrators can then manage all applications in one central area. Below are Shari’s tips for making the most of this functionality.
Don’t Be Daunted
The main set up is the same as any competition, just repeated for each track an administrator chooses to create.
As Shari points out: “It looks a little daunting, but I guarantee it is not!”
Use Navigation Status Table
After creating the initial tracks, all are displayed in an easy-to-read table: “You are free to move around the table as you desire to configure.”
Even after launching, the table allows administrators to quickly go back and make edits to any portion.
Copy Your Tracks
Once the first track is configured, navigating to subsequent tracks always prompts the administrator to either copy the configuration of a previous track, or create a new one.
As Shari notes: “Now that’s where it really, really does save a lot of time.” For example, if the application form is almost identical across tracks except for one file upload, copy the Requirements from track to track and then simply edit the one differentiating upload option.
Get Creative
While Shari has primarily used multitrack competitions for intramural funding, she recommended several other potential use cases:
- Collect polling info: 1 submission per applicant equals 1 vote
- Build reviewer pool: Scholarly vs. research reviewers, early vs. experienced
- Collaborator requests: Serve as collaborator vs. wanting to collaborate
- Monitor conflict of interest: Faculty vs. staff
- Form collection for approval
We want to thank Shari for sharing her experience using multitrack competitions to streamline application and review processes.
