Application Management

Application Management in ArkAssist provides a centralised workspace for creating, writing, and tracking your grant applications from initial draft through to completion. It combines a searchable application list with a full-featured section-based writing editor, AI-powered content tools, and collaboration features.

Applications List

The My Applications page displays all your applications in a list view with the following capabilities:

• Search -- Find applications by title using the search bar.
• Filter by status -- Narrow the list to show only applications in a specific status (draft, in-progress, submitted, completed).
• Sort -- Reorder applications by date, name, deadline, or status.
• Pagination -- Navigate through your applications when the list exceeds a single page.
• Bulk selection -- Select multiple applications for batch operations.
• Export -- Export your application list to CSV or Excel for reporting or offline tracking.

Each application in the list shows its title, type, status badge, review status, and deadline at a glance.

Per-Application Actions

From the application list, each entry provides quick actions:

• View -- Open the application in read-only mode.
• Edit / Write -- Open the application in the section-based writing editor.
• Share -- Invite collaborators to the application.
• Delete -- Remove the application (with confirmation).
• Download -- Export the application content.

Creating an Application

To create a new application:

1. Navigate to ArkAssist and open My Applications.
2. Click Create New Application.
3. Fill in the application metadata:
   • Title -- The name of your application or project.
   • Description -- A brief summary of what the application covers.
   • Application Type -- Select from the available type options.
   • Application Status -- Defaults to draft. Can be updated as you progress.
   • Review Status -- Track internal review stages separately from the application status.
4. Save the application. It appears in your list and is ready for writing.

Application Status Lifecycle

Every application tracks two separate status dimensions:

Application Status indicates where the application stands in the submission pipeline:

• Draft -- Initial preparation stage. You are building content and gathering materials.
• In Progress -- Active writing and development. Sections are being drafted and refined.
• Submitted -- The application has been sent to the funding body.
• Completed -- The application process has concluded (whether awarded or not).

Review Status tracks internal review workflows independently, so you can manage peer review, supervisor approval, or institutional sign-off alongside the main application status.

To change status, open the application detail view and update the status fields from the Application ID Management Panel.

Application Detail and Writing Editor

Opening an application takes you to the Application ID Management Panel, which serves as the control centre for that application. It includes:

• App Switcher -- Quickly switch between your applications without returning to the list.
• Create New -- Start a new application directly from within the detail view.
• Status Badges -- Visual indicators for both application status and review status.
• Metadata Editing -- Update the title, description, type, status, and review status at any time.

Section-Based Writing Editor

The writing editor is the core of the application experience. It operates on a section-by-section basis, providing a focused, full-screen writing environment:

• Section navigation -- Move between sections using the sidebar or navigation controls.
• Auto-save -- Your work is saved automatically as you type. No manual save action is required.
• Character and word count -- Live counters for each section help you stay within limits.
• Section templates -- Apply template sections from your template library to pre-populate structure.

AI-Powered Writing Features

Within the writing editor, each section has access to AI capabilities:

• AI Content Generation -- Generate draft text for a section based on the application context, section purpose, and call requirements.
• Compliance Checking -- Run an automated compliance check on the section content to identify potential issues with formatting, required elements, or programme-specific rules.
• Section Evaluation and Feedback -- Request an AI evaluation of a section that simulates reviewer feedback, identifies strengths and weaknesses, and suggests improvements.
• AI Suggestions and Rewrites -- Get targeted suggestions for improving clarity, completeness, or alignment with evaluation criteria, and apply AI-powered rewrites to specific passages.

PIF (Project Information Form)

ArkAssist includes dedicated PIF management for programmes that require structured Project Information Forms:

Draft PIF

The Draft PIF page provides a visual form builder for creating and editing your PIF:

• Section creation and editing -- Add, modify, and organise PIF sections with a structured form interface.
• Field validation -- Required fields are validated in real time, and missing or invalid entries are flagged before submission.
• Auto-save -- Changes are saved automatically as you work.

View PIF

The View PIF page presents a read-only display of your completed PIF with options to:

• Download as PDF -- Generate a formatted PDF of the PIF for submission or review.
• Print -- Send the PIF directly to your printer.

AI Tools

ArkAssist includes four standalone AI tools that operate independently from the writing editor. Access them from the ArkAssist overview or the Tools page:

PIF Creator

Generates AI-powered PIF sections from your project information. Provide your project details, and the tool produces structured PIF content that you can review and refine.

Budget Builder

A structured budget planning tool that supports both EU and US funding systems:

• Budget by category -- Organise costs into standard categories (personnel, equipment, travel, subcontracting, other direct costs, indirect costs).
• Line items -- Add individual cost entries within each category with descriptions, quantities, unit costs, and totals.
• AI justification -- Generate budget justification text for each line item or category, explaining why the cost is necessary and reasonable.
• Auto calculations -- Totals, subtotals, and indirect cost rates are calculated automatically as you add or modify line items.
• Export to Excel -- Download the complete budget as an Excel spreadsheet for submission or further editing.

Compliance Checker

Paste or input your proposal text, and the Compliance Checker runs an AI-powered analysis against programme-specific rules and requirements. It generates a structured compliance report highlighting areas that meet requirements, potential issues, and recommended corrections.

Mock Evaluator

Simulate how your proposal would be evaluated:

• Proposal text input -- Paste the content you want evaluated.
• AI evaluation simulation -- The tool applies evaluation criteria typical of your target programme to assess the proposal.
• Success prediction -- Receive an estimated likelihood of success based on the quality and completeness of the content.
• Improvement suggestions -- Get specific, actionable recommendations for strengthening weak areas.

My Artifacts

All outputs generated by the four AI tools are stored in the My Artifacts section:

• Filter by tool type -- View artifacts from a specific tool (PIF Creator, Budget Builder, Compliance Checker, or Mock Evaluator).
• Download -- Re-download any previously generated artifact.
• Delete -- Remove artifacts you no longer need.
• Pagination -- Navigate through your artifact history when it grows large.

Insights Dashboard

The Insights page provides analytics across all your applications:

• Success rate statistics -- Breakdown of approved, rejected, and pending applications.
• Application trend analysis -- A 12-month historical view of your application activity.
• Category breakdown -- Distribution of applications by type.
• Preparation time metrics -- Average, minimum, and maximum days spent preparing applications.
• Top performing sections -- Identify which sections of your applications consistently score well.
• Productivity metrics -- Total applications created, unique opportunities targeted, submitted count, and average sections per application.

Collaboration

When you share an application with collaborators:

• All collaborators can view the application details, status, sections, and metadata.
• Collaborators can contribute to the writing process within their assigned sections.
• Activity is tracked so all team members stay informed about changes and progress.

To share an application, open it from the list and use the Share action to invite team members.