Grant Success Rate Calculator Formula

Understand the math behind the grant success rate calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.

Use the Grant Success Rate Calculator

Formulas Used

Success Rate

success_pct = success_rate * 100

Total Funding Won

total_funded = grants_funded * avg_grant_amount

Expected Future Wins

expected_future_grants = planned_submissions * success_rate

Expected Future Funding

expected_future_funding = planned_submissions * success_rate * avg_grant_amount

Variables

VariableDescriptionDefault
grants_submittedGrants Submitted12
grants_fundedGrants Funded3
avg_grant_amountAverage Grant Amount($)50000
planned_submissionsPlanned Future Submissions5
success_rateDerived value= grants_funded / grants_submittedcalculated

How It Works

How to Calculate Grant Success Rate

Grant success rate is the proportion of submitted proposals that receive funding.

Formula

Success Rate = Grants Funded / Grants Submitted

Expected Future Funding = Planned Submissions x Success Rate x Average Amount

Benchmarks

  • Federal grants (NIH, NSF): 15-25% success rate
  • Private foundations: 10-30%
  • Internal university grants: 30-50%

    • Improving proposal quality and targeting the right funder can significantly increase your rate.

    Worked Example

    A researcher submitted 12 grants, won 3, averaging $50,000 each, and plans 5 more submissions.

    grants_submitted = 12grants_funded = 3avg_grant_amount = 50000planned_submissions = 5
    1. 01Success rate: 3 / 12 = 0.25 = 25.0%
    2. 02Total funded: 3 x $50,000 = $150,000
    3. 03Expected future wins: 5 x 0.25 = 1.3
    4. 04Expected future funding: 1.3 x $50,000 = $62,500

    Ready to run the numbers?

    Open Grant Success Rate Calculator