Grants & Contributions

Grants and contribution programs, such as efforts to fund basic science and academic research, to invest in cultural or social development, or to fund infrastructure projects, can be powerful tools to drive innovation and change. These programs, by supporting new ideas and initiatives that have the potential for broad economic and societal impact, can plant the seeds for benefits far in excess of their monetary costs.

But grant programs can pose challenges to establish and administer.

• Criteria can be difficult to define and agree upon.
• The volume and complexity of applications can place enormous demands on the time of expert reviewers.
• It can seem impossible to choose between two or more applications with obvious merit but that have very different proposals.

And even compiling and comparing the application evaluations from different reviewers can be a burden.

• Once these decisions have been made, the funding organization will still face difficult challenges.
• Do they have a paper trail that demonstrates that they have chosen in a fair and impartial manner?
• Can they show that they are supporting their declared objectives?
• Can they create an institutional "memory" to draw upon for each succeeding funding competition?

ProGrid consultants are very familiar with these challenges and how to solve them. In 2008, over $1 billion in applications, proposals and investments were evaluated using systems and processes designed by ProGrid.

A complete and robust grant program will deliver substantial benefits to everyone involved.

• Applicants will be able to understand what criteria will be used to evaluate their proposals. A well defined application requirement will allow applicants to save time in preparing their application, include all relevant details without wasting time on irrelevancies, see how they can strengthen their proposals to better meet funding objectives, and even determine early in the process if their idea is a good fit at all. The end result will be a smaller number of strong applications and less wasted effort by potential applicants.
• Reviewers will have clearly defined standards with which to examine applications. The applications they receive will have only useful details, saving them reviewing time. Weak applications can be quickly identified and eliminated from consideration. Each application can be rated on a clearly defined set of criteria, and reviewers can see how the evaluation process supports the stated objectives of the program. When the reviewers have completed their evaluations, they will have confidence in the process and their decisions. Perhaps most importantly, they will find that their valuable time has been well used - ProGrid has been able to reduce reviewer time commitment by as much as 70%
• Program administrators will be able to quickly compile and compare results from different applications and different reviewers. They will be able to reduce a large number of applications into a short list to be examined in a final review process. Once final decisions are made, there will be a comprehensive and well structured record of how and why each application was approved or set aside.
• Outside stakeholders also gain. They will be able to see clearly into the process from beginning to end, understanding the overall goals for the program and how those goals translate into funding for specific projects. A well defined evaluation program ensures transparency, accountability and fairness.

Case Studies in G&C:

   1. Canadian Foundation for Innovation
   2. Alberta Science and Research Investments Program
   3. Ontario Centres of Excellence
   4. Alberta Heritage Fund for Medical Research