Ultimate guide to rounds

What is a round?

In Good Grants, a round controls the period of time in which an action, such as application submission or reviewing, can occur. There are three round types:

• Application round: allows applications to be created, edited, and submitted. If no application round is open, applications cannot be created, edited, or submitted. 
• Reviewing round: allows reviewing activity to occur. If no reviewing round is open, reviewers cannot see applications to evaluate or record their desired scores, votes, etc. 
• Feedback round: allows scores and/or comments to be shared with applicants and/or reviewers. During an active feedback round users are able to see the scores and/or comments on their submissions. 

There are no limits to the number of rounds that you can create to fit your needs. Rounds can be edited as necessary and are not typically visible to your program's users. If you would like to extend a round or display a countdown to applicants, see the Can I extend a round? and Can I show applicants when the application round ends?  sections below. 

How do I configure a round?

All rounds, regardless of type, are created using the same basic steps. 

1. From the Manage workspace, navigate to Settings > Applications > Rounds
2. Click Add round--if multiple forms are in use, select your desired form from the drop-down
3. Provide a name for your round--this name is for internal use only and is not publicly visible
4. Select your desired round type
5. Set the Starts and Ends dates and times
   
   Tip: if no date or time is provided for the round start, it is open immediately. If no end date or time is assigned the round is open indefinitely. 
6. When finished, click Save

Application round options

When configuring an application round, an additional date and time field will appear titled Action / resubmission ends.

This setting allows accounts that utilise action flow or application resubmission to set a deadline. If no Ends date or time is assigned, action flow tasks and resubmission can be submitted indefinitely. To learn more about action flow and resubmission, see our dedicated guides: Action flow configuration and Application resubmission.

Reviewing round options

There are two 'Reviewing view' options when configuring a reviewing round. 

• Scoring: allows reviewers to submit scores, votes, etc. 
• Viewing only: allows reviewers to view all applications assigned to them, but not take any action on those assignments. 

Feedback round options

Feedback rounds offer a wide array of configurable options to best fit your needs.

• Visible to applicants: allows applicants to see the feedback provided by reviewers during all score sets for the selected categories. 
• Visible to reviewers: allows reviewers to see the feedback provided by other reviewers during all score sets for the selected categories.
• Anonymise reviewers: allows the feedback shared with applicants or reviewers to be done anonymously. Without this option selected, the reviewers' names will be visible. 
• Display total scores only: allows the feedback recipient to see an overall score for a submission and not the individual scores from scoring criteria. 
• Comments: allows the feedback recipient to view the comments left on the application overall and for specific scoring criteria. 
• Scores: allows feedback recipients to view the scores left by reviewers on an application when Scoring reviewing is employed. 
  
  Note: if there are multiple Scoring score sets, all score sets are shown in feedback. Individual reviewers' scores are not shown, only the average of all reviewers. 

Can I show applicants when the application round ends? 

While rounds are typically not visible to users, Good Grants allows you to display an optional countdown to the application deadline as shown below.

1. In the Manage workspace, navigate to Forms
2. Click on the ellipsis (three dots) next to your form's name and choose Form settings
3. Select the Display countdown to submission deadline checkbox
   
4. Click Save when finished 

Can I extend a round?

Yes! It's common for grant managers to extend the dates or times assigned to application and reviewing rounds to allow users more time. While this is not always planned in advance, it's easy to extend the round for all users. 

To extend a round:

1. Navigate back to Settings > Applications > Rounds
2. Click on your round
3. Set a new Ends date and time
4. Hit Save 

To contact applicants with applications in progress:

1. Go to Applications
2. Click Advanced in the search bar
3. Set the Status filter to In progress
4. Click Search
5. Hit Broadcast
6. Compose and send your desired message

Can I extend the round for some users and not others? 

In Good Grants, you have the ability to assign a custom application deadline for some applicants and not all users. This is helpful for programs that wish to give select applications additional time to complete their submissions after the application round has finished. Custom application deadlines cannot be assigned in bulk, but there is no limit to the number of applications a custom deadline can be assigned to. 

1. In the Manage workspace, go to Applications
2. Click the name or ID number of the desired application
3. Hit Set next to the 'Custom application deadline' heading
   
4. Click into the field that appears to choose your deadline using the calendar widget
   
   Tip: select the clock icon at the bottom of the calendar to choose the deadline time.
   

You can edit the custom application deadline by clicking Edit after a date and time has been assigned. 

Video overview