PhD application system
Our challenge was to create a web-based application system for PhD applicants based throughout Africa. Applicants had to be able to complete and submit their electronic applications from countries with unreliable internet connectivity.
MCDC is...
... a consortium of four European and five African partners funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The consortium has initiated a new PhD programme for African scientists to undertake malaria research in Africa and to provide support to the doctoral and postdoctoral Fellows trained under the Gates Malaria Partnership (GMP).
MCDC aims to lead to improvements in the malaria control measures available in Africa, but also to stimulate research and facilitate the professional development of researchers to develop new ways to control the disease.
Background
MCDC wanted to recruit approximately 20 African students to their PhD programme by way of a rigorous selection procedure to select the most able students. The students would pursue their studies based in the African countries participating in the programme - Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Our challenge was to create a web-based application system for the applicants who were based throughout Africa to be able to complete and submit their electronic application form in countries with unreliable internet connectivity. A web-based system was also required to facilitate the review and selection of applicants by each of the participating universities and the Consortium's Steering Committee.
Internet connectivity in Africa
A major factor in designing this application system was to enable as many people as possible to apply for the PhD and to cater for people, in certain parts and areas of Africa, who experience poor and unreliable internet connectivity.
Our involvement
Working closely with the MCDC Secretariat we gathered the requirements for the system and created detailed specifications to ensure the workflow and steps involved at the various stages of the application process were incorporated within the system. We focused our efforts on creating simple and easy to use web pages for each of the reviewers and Steering Committee members.
The system
To cater for the unpredictable internet connectivity in parts of Africa and the problems applicants would face completing an online application form we created a PDF application form that could be downloaded and completed offline. This solution significantly reduced time spent online and provided the applicants with a form that could be completed offline at any time of their choosing.
Applicants simply submitted their application by going online and pressing a ‘submit' button within the form. All application data was extracted from the PDF and stored in a central database.
Review process
The system supported the review process by allowing reviewers based in Africa and Europe to download completed PDF applications from the system and review them online or paper. Each reviewer entered their review scores for each applicant into the system to be considered by the Steering Committee.
Did it work?
The system was a success with MCDC receiving well over 200 applications. All the reviewers found the system intuitive and easy to use and we received positive feedback from the successful students about their experiences when applying to MCDC.
What's next?
Following on the success of this application system we have designed a grant application system for MCDC to advertise and process grant applications that are being made available to the senior MCDC researchers (Investigators).
