Grant Writing Toolkit
All projects have risks which have the potential to impact their quality, cost or completion.
There are many different types of risks that can impact projects. One of the best ways to address risk in your project is to develop a risk management plan.
Some funders will require a risk management plan as part of the grant application. Even if funders don’t require it, however, developing a risk management plan before you start your project can help you avoid issues down the track.
Risk identification and mitigation should both occur before the project starts. Ideally, the entire research team should be involved in risk identification and mitigation as different people have different risk appetites. To avoid any miscommunication or misinterpretation, it’s important to discuss and agree upon risk upfront as a team.
Note that Charles Sturt University has a Risk Register Procedure and risk resources. The CSU Risk Team can also provide guidance on completing risk assessments for research projects. You can contact the Team at riskmanagement@csu.edu.au.
Risk management and the grantmaking lifecycle: How to manage what you can't control
This PDF document was developed by SmartyGrants to help grant writers manage risk and implement a risk management program.
Explaining risk management plans for funding submissions Whitney Consulting explain the importance of developing a risk management plan for projects to ensure they stay on track. It includes a four-step process for creating a risk management plan.
Assess and manage risk The Australian Government have a website called ‘Assess and manage risk’ which outlines steps to help you identify, analyse and evaluate risk. Includes a risk analysis template.
Risk and how to use a risk matrix (5:29 min)
This video gives a brief introduction to risk and how to use a risk matrix.