Technology for the Home and Office: An Introduction

How To Secure Research Funding

Most researchers often encounter problems funding their research studies. In most cases, they cannot find a willing organisation willing to support the research. If they do, they cannot secure sufficient funding for their study. In the long run, their studies become inconclusive. This piece offers some valuable insights for funding research.

Have a Straightforward Research Question 

Organisations that fund research studies receive thousands of applications every year. The best way to have an advantage over your competition is to ensure you have a clear research question. Usually, the review team examines the originality of your research and its impact on society. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will secure funding for a cliché research topic. It would help if you conducted thorough background research to ensure that your research is groundbreaking. This way, you improve your chances of receiving funding. 

Hire Professionals to Write Your Grant Proposition 

Although you might be a seasoned researcher, writing a grant application might not be your forte. If this is the case, engage professionals specialising in grant propositions. You could ask the professional to write the proposal on your behalf or request them to train you on how to write a proposition. You will find numerous grant writing experts on the internet. However, it is up to you to conduct due diligence to ensure the individual offers value for your money. Reviews would be an excellent assessment metric in this case. Moreover, contact some of the professional's customers to establish whether they enjoyed working with the individual. Remember, you will hold numerous meetings to fine-tune your application and ensure it covers the critical details of your research. Therefore, the professional should have excellent communication and people skills.

Start Early 

A mistake most researchers make is that they begin searching for grants when it is too late. As a best practice, you should start your search as soon as you commence the research. This way, you have insights into whom you could approach for a grant. In some cases, you will realise that the structuring of your research limits the organisations that can fund your research. As such, you could opt to restructure the topic to improve the chances of securing funding. 

Stay in Touch with Fund Managers 

Before sending your application, contact the fund manager and inquire about their shortlisting criteria. Use this as a cheat code as you write your grant application. After sending the application, stay in touch with the grant manager and inquire about the progress of your application. Sometimes you could be required to make amendments or clarifications to improve your chances of securing funding. In other cases, the fund manager will put in a good word with the review team since they presume you are serious about the study.


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