What is it?
The Research Canvas is an invaluable tool to help you secure funding for your research and achieve and measure impact from your research. It has been developed from the Business Model Canvas, which is widely used in the commercial and non-profit world to describe, design, challenge, and change how a business creates, delivers & captures value.
Who is it for?
Anyone who wants to simplify the process of applying for research funding can benefit from using this tool. In the competitive field of funding, you need to make a compelling case, also known as a research value proposition. This requires you to focus not just on the quality of your research but also why the research is needed and how it can achieve its intended impact.
How does it work?
The Research Canvas is a one-page template that consists of 13 building blocks that cover the key elements of a research project. By filling in the individual blocks, you focus on defining the problem clearly, specify who cares about, and who will benefit from the research, and explore how it could be solved. You are also forced to think about practical aspects, like having the required expertise, tools, time, and funding to execute a research project, while managing risk. The structure of the canvas ensures that your research project is needed, that you are the best team and have the resources to execute and that the project is value for money. The idea is that you fill in the Research Canvas before you start writing a proposal.
What are some of the benefits?
- It provides focus for the key assumptions that you will need to validate prior to writing applications.
- It highlights areas that you need to focus on to provide a compelling case for funding.
- It distils key information into a clear and concise research value proposition.
- It aids with creating a personal pitch which will help when introducing your research to non-experts.
- It can reveal if something isn’t going to work and avoids working on research proposals with no chance of funding. (e.g. project duration set by the funder isn't long enough or there are inadequate funds to execute an ambitious project).
- The condensed format makes it more efficient for a range of stakeholders to understand your research, its expected outcomes, and its impact.
You can find the Research Canvas tool below, both with an explanation on how to fill in each box and a blank template for you to use for your own project.