Grant Writing Tips for Effective Research

 Grant Writers can easily get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of information that you might find available online to support your case for funding. The trick for any grant writer is to find efficient ways to sort the wheat from the chaff to find the most relevant information quickly.  There is a myriad of tips for how a grant writer might achieve this and this article presents just a few.

Where to Start

Google is a great place to start for grant writing research, although it can produce a wide array of choice in the search results. Be selective by making sure you check how current the report is, how much authority the authors have, the sample size of the research subjects and how relevant both the subjects and the research itself is to your particular case. Checking the blogs of your own organisation or organisations similar to your own (whether local or international) can also lead you to highly relevant studies that will support your case.

Associations & Head Associations

Some of the most relevant research can be found on the websites of representative peak bodies either at a state or national level.  There are times too, when international research can be just as valid, especially if you are presenting the case for bringing change and new solutions to local markets. If the organisation you are grant writing for has a head association, then check their website and social media for articles and blogs that provide links to relevant research. Look to matching organisations in other regions as well to see what research they may link to.

Avoid Overwhelm

Armed with a number of links the grant writer then needs to ensure that they do not burn copious amounts of time reading every paper. Long research papers can be quickly assessed by looking at the beginning pages, which includes the table of contents, introduction and executive summary.  Often, these starting pages will give the vital statistics for the grant writer in Sydney to then assess whether to read further or not. Additional nuggets can be found in the start of any relevant sections within these documents as well, and sometimes as a summary at the end of the paper. If information cannot be gleaned quickly and easily from these areas, then the paper can be put aside as a last resort in case checking other research options also yields nothing.

Use Statistics Effectively

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has a fantastic range of statistical data and xx available for grant writers to use. Narrow this data down to your particular demographic or region to quickly ascertain whether these statistics provide enough strength to the funding application. There are often times when data collected at a state or local level might be more relevant, so a grant writer should familiarise themselves with exactly what information they can get at each of these levels.  Again, peak representative bodies can also have great statistical information to support a grant writer’s case.

Build a Reference Library

Grant Writer Sydney


As you find useful sites, articles and research papers, keep a register of links to enable fast retrieval for future grant applications. You will need to be aware of making sure the research is still relevant and current the next time you use it, but even so, it may point you to ideal places to find the best information. It is also worthwhile putting some brief notes beside each link to save time in future grant writing endeavours.

Case Studies

Case Studies can strengthen a Grant Writers argument for funding, but serious consideration should be put into the cost of presenting case studies. Generally, to effectively introduce any case study, it can take a significant number of the word allowance given in any grant application. This leaves very little word allocation for the grant writer in Melbourne to then tie that case study into the grant.  Often these case studies are best left out unless there is a specific section for them, or they are able to be uploaded as supporting documents.

Keep it Succinct

Whilst it is normal that there may be a large body of research to support the case for a grant writer, it is unnecessary and detrimental for a grant writer to quote streams and streams of research just to prove a point. One or two well chosen, highly relevant and succinct pieces of references that tie into building the funding case will always be more effective. The reader (assessors) will follow and engage with the application more if it uses research as part of a storyline, rather than just blandly quoting numbers and facts without any clear direction.

At Red Tape Busters, we have decades of grant writing experience adopting effective research methods, thus enabling us to put forward the very best case for your funding. Utilising our services will increase the chances of your grant application being accepted by tapping into this vast knowledge.

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