Application portal: Frequently asked questions
If you need extra assistance using the application portal, consult these FAQs before contacting your institution coordinator or Marsden Fund staff
Where are the instructions?
Generic instructions are available from all pages. They can be found by clicking on the link Proposal Instructions in the left-hand menu of the portal.
Where are the current Guidelines?
They can be found by clicking on the link Proposal Guidelines in the left-hand menu of the portal.
What browsers can be used?
Most browsers can be used, including Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Explorer, although if you are using an old version you should update to a more modern one (for instance, old versions of Explorer do not work).
Why can’t I log on?
The server might be down, there might be a problem with your password or, most likely, you have bookmarked your URL incorrectly. Please get in touch with your institutional coordinator or the Marsden office as soon as you can, as other people may be experiencing the same problem too.
How do I make a bookmark for the application portal?
Make a bookmark (or "add to favorites") in the normal way.
On a PC, go to the Bookmark or Favorites menu at the top of your browser, right-click on the bookmark and select Properties, and then paste into the Location/Address the URL that you have received in an email from your coordinator. Then "Save" or "Okay".
On a Mac, go to the Bookmark or Favorites menu at the top of your browser, select Organise Bookmarks or Organise Favorites, highlight your Marsden bookmark, go to File/Get Info and then paste into the Location/Address the URL that you have received in an email from your coordinator. Then "Save" or "Okay".
Why am I getting an error message?
There could be a number of reasons. Try the following, in order.
- Your browser could be incompatible with the portal. Avoid early versions of browsers. Try a different browser.
- You have bookmarked your URL incorrectly (see preceding FAQ).
- Your browser is automatically inserting an incorrect password. When you are on the login page, replace the series of asterisks in the password box by pasting in the letters and numbers that follow "pid=" in your URL.
- There is a problem at the Marsden end. Please let your coordinator know ASAP or contact Marsden directly (Rachel Averill, 04-470 5774, rachel.averill@royalsociety.org.nz False alarms okay!
Why can’t I edit the form?
Editing cannot take place until Edit has been clicked.
How long before the web page times out?
20 minutes.
Why does my abstract not fit on one page when I click the "Preview" function?
If you use the abstract template provided, one page of text should correspond to one page of PDF. If you are copying and pasting from another document, you will need to ensure that the margins are the same as for the abstract template (i.e. 20 mm on left and right).
Why does my abstract not fit on one page when it is a perfect fit on my Macintosh?
If you are using a Mac, ensure that you load your document onto Proposals On-Line and check that it fits within the page limits, BEFORE you do your fine-tuning of the text. There are differences between the Mac and PC versions of Word, and the PDF maker on the portal is based on the PC version, so this is beyond our control.
Why is the last section missing when I click the "Preview" function?
You may have a blank page on your document. There is a page limit for the PDF so a blank page means that the final page containing the last section will not appear. Check your uploaded document for a blank page and remove it.
Can I change the space allocated to each section of the CV?
Yes. For Standard CVs, the page limit is 5.
Narrative CV option: Yes. You can also remove any section that does not seem relevant to you.
Why do I have to enter the contact information in the CV when I have provided that information earlier in the application?
All funding agencies are using a common template for CVs. This will cause a small amount of duplication.
Does the portal accept DOCX documents?
Yes. However, please load the document as a DOCX, rather than as a PDF created from the DOCX document. You should not need to load a PDF as the portal will create a PDF for you automatically. However, if for some reason you wish to upload the PDF directly, please observe the following instructions.
Click the "Options" button on the "Save As" dialog. Then click "Options" and tick the "ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A)" box. This greys out the "Bitmap text..." option. Also untick the "Create bookmarks..." and "Document structure...".
Why do some symbols go wrong in the PDF?
When text is pasted from programs such as Word into text boxes on the web, the creation of the PDF sometimes corrupts the symbols. To avoid this, replace those symbols by ones that are typed directly into the web text box from the keyboard. For example, inverted commas pasted onto the web from a word processing program should be replaced by inverted commas typed directly from the keyboard. When typing symbols into web text boxes, it may be useful to make use of the character map available on your computer (Start menu / Programs / Accessories / System Tools); however, the character map doesn't help when entering macrons.
Who do I contact if I am having trouble?
Rachel Averill (rachel.averill@royalsociety.org.nz) or your research coordinator.
Who do I contact if I have a suggestion for improving the application portal?
Suggestions are welcomed. Please contact Rachel Averill (rachel.averill@royalsociety.org.nz)