There are many different ways to categorize the type of grant a person may apply for. In this post, we will look at six types of grants or reasons to apply for grant funding. Understanding these basic categories is helpful for individuals who are struggling to determine how to articulate the motivation behind their desire for funding. The six types of grant purposes are

• Demonstration
• Replication
• Research
• Equipment
• Consortia
• International

Demonstration

A demonstration grant is a request to develop a change model. The motivation behind this type of grant is innovation. This grant is for determining what works and what does not work. If you desire to shake the status quo then your purpose may be demonstration.

Replication

Replication grants are focused on copying tried and true methods in a different context. In other, you see or experience some sort of successful innovation somewhere else and you want to bring it to your organization. One example would be technology in the classroom such as tablets. Using tablets is beneficial in many schools which leads to you wanting to bring tablets into your school as well.

Demonstration grants often lead to replication. The first grant-seekers develop an innovation that leads to others copying this success through replication.

Research

Research grants follow a more rigorous scientific process compared to other grants. They generally involve a control and experimental group. In other words, it’s not enough to show that the intervention benefits students through reporting performance metrics. It is also necessary that the students are doing better than a group of students who did not participate.

Demonstration grants can be made into research grants by tightening the scientific standards of the intervention process. The scientific results solidify the wisdom of providing money to the grant-seekers. Even if the results are disappointing it at least indicates that the intervention should no longer be explored.

Equipment

Equipment grants are self-explanatory. These grants are developed to request money to purchase needed paraphernalia. Schools may ask to buy computers, microscopes, instruments, etc. Asking for money just to buy something is normally not enough. Instead, you want to purchase equipment to replicate the success of others, demonstrate something, and or do research. In other words, you might start with the goal of buying stuff but getting the grant approved will require a deeper purpose in many situations.

Consortia

Consortia can be any of the grant types above with the difference of working with others when obtaining the money. For example, several counties in a state in the United States might work together to obtain grant funding to help youth in a geographic area. Individually, each county does not have enough expertise or need for money. However, by working together and pooling resources they can provide a service to their region through grant funding.

International

International grants are grants that come from overseas. Multinational companies will often support the local community in which their businesses are located to develop local talent and garner goodwill. For example, Toyota might provide grants to schools in Thailand because Toyota has factories in Thailand. Support schools in Thailand to develop potential workers that will benefit Toyota in the future.

Conclusion

Of course, it is possible to think of other reasons or motivations for seeking grant funding. The purpose here was to provide a shortcut in this part of the decision-making process. Starting with one of the six examples above will help people who are new to this process.