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CONVERGE User Guide

Managing your CONVERGE account

Getting help & contacting support

Requesting help on a specific opportunity and what happens next.

Updated 9/23/2026

Help requests are part of an institutional subscription: a question scoped to a specific opportunity — anything from "is this eligible for early-career applicants?" to "can someone review my draft aims?" — routed to your institution's Research Development team in Build.

Not available on individual memberships

Individual memberships are self-serve. There is no research support queue behind them, so Request Help, email research support, and live chat are hidden. Use the user guides for how-to questions, and contact the CONVERGE system administrator for login or technical problems.

How to request help (institutional subscriptions)

  1. Open the match or opportunity you want help with.
  2. Click Request help.
  3. Type your question. Attach a file if it helps.
  4. Submit.

What happens next

  • The request appears in the Build help queue and is claimed by an RD staff member.
  • You see a confirmation in your inbox immediately.
  • When the staff member responds, the reply lands in your inbox under the same thread, and (if enabled) you receive an email notification with the answer inline.
  • You can reply to keep the conversation going.

Be specific

Help requests are easier to answer when they're scoped — "Does NSF consider our CTSA hub eligible?" gets a faster answer than "Tell me about this opportunity."

Applying is always your formal process

Whatever support you have, CONVERGE responses (Pursuing, Fit – Not Pursuing, Not a Fit) are for tracking and matching feedback only. To apply, follow the sponsor's formal application process and any procedures your organization requires.

Privacy

Only RD staff at your institution see your help requests. They are never shared with other researchers or with other customers.