Grant vs. Award — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 4, 2024
A grant is financial support given for a specific purpose, often research or projects, requiring application and adherence to guidelines. An award is a recognition or prize for achievements, not necessarily monetary and based on merit or competition.
Difference Between Grant and Award
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Grants are typically financial contributions provided by governments, organizations, or foundations to fund specific projects or research, requiring detailed applications and often adherence to strict guidelines for use. They are aimed at facilitating progress in various fields such as science, education, and the arts. Awards, on the other hand, serve as a form of recognition or honor given to individuals or organizations for excellence, achievements, or contributions in a particular field. While awards can sometimes include financial gifts, they primarily serve to acknowledge and celebrate merit or accomplishments.
While grants are usually given with the expectation of some form of reporting or outcome, such as research findings or project completion, awards are given as recognition of past achievements without any expectation of future work or outcomes. This difference highlights the purpose-driven nature of grants versus the celebratory and acknowledging aspect of awards. Whereas, awards often come as a result of competition or nomination, recognizing excellence or achievement among peers, and may not always carry financial benefits.
Grants often require a detailed application process, where applicants must demonstrate their project's worthiness, potential impact, and how it aligns with the grantor's objectives. This process can be competitive, with funding provided to those proposals deemed most worthy or impactful. On the other hand, awards are typically conferred based on achievements or contributions already made, and while they may involve a nomination and selection process, they are not contingent upon a proposal for future work.
The scope and duration of grants can vary widely, from short-term projects to multi-year research initiatives, and are often aimed at providing the financial means necessary to achieve a specific goal. Awards, however, do not usually have a defined scope or duration and often come in the form of trophies, certificates, medals, or sometimes cash, serving as a one-time recognition of excellence.
Grants play a crucial role in enabling research, innovation, and development across a wide range of disciplines by providing necessary funding. Awards, while they may sometimes include financial gifts, primarily function to elevate the status, reputation, and credibility of the recipients within their respective fields, serving as a testament to their excellence and achievements.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Financial support for a specific purpose, requiring application and adherence to guidelines.
Recognition or prize for achievements, can be monetary or symbolic.
Purpose
To fund projects or research.
To recognize and celebrate achievements or excellence.
Requirement
Detailed application, adherence to project guidelines.
Achievement, excellence, sometimes competition or nomination.
Outcome Expectation
Reporting on project progress and results.
No expectation of future work, recognition of past achievements.
Form of Benefit
Primarily financial.
Can be monetary, trophies, certificates, or honorary titles.
Compare with Definitions
Grant
Funding for Projects.
The research team received a grant to study environmental changes.
Award
Elevates Status and Reputation.
Winning an award can significantly enhance a professional's reputation in their field.
Grant
Application Process.
Applying for a grant involves detailing the project's goals, methodology, and expected impact.
Award
Competitions and Nominations.
The award was the result of a national competition among peers.
Grant
Variety of Fields.
Artists often apply for grants to support their creative projects.
Award
Symbolic or Monetary.
The award included a trophy and a cash prize.
Grant
Specific Guidelines.
The grant required regular updates and a final report on the project's outcomes.
Award
Recognition of Excellence.
She received an award for her contributions to science.
Grant
Enables Research and Innovation.
Grants have enabled significant advances in medical research.
Award
Based on Achievements.
The annual awards celebrate outstanding achievements in the arts.
Grant
To allow or consent to the fulfillment of (something requested)
Grant permission to speak frankly.
Grant a request.
Award
An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration.
Grant
To give or confer officially or formally
Grant voting rights to citizens.
Grant diplomatic immunity.
Award
To grant as merited or due
Awarded prizes to the winners.
Grant
To transfer (property) by a deed.
Award
To grant an amount or other benefit legally due
Awarded damages to the plaintiff.
Grant
To concede; acknowledge
I grant that your plan is ingenious, but you still will not find many backers.
Award
Something awarded or granted, as for merit.
Grant
The act of granting.
Award
An amount or other benefit granted as legally due.
Grant
Something granted, especially a giving of funds for a specific purpose
Federal grants for medical research.
Award
(legal) A judgment, sentence, or final decision. Specifically: The decision of arbitrators in a case submitted.
Grant
The document or provision in a document by which a grant is made.
Award
(legal) The paper containing the decision of arbitrators; that which is warded.
Grant
One of several tracts of land in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont originally granted to an individual or a group.
Award
A trophy or medal; something that denotes an accomplishment, especially in a competition. A prize or honor based on merit.
Grant
(ditransitive) to give (permission or wish)
He was granted permission to attend the meeting.
The genie granted him three wishes
Award
A negotiated minimum wage that is set for a particular trade or industry; an industrial award.
Grant
(ditransitive) To bestow or confer, with or without compensation, particularly in answer to prayer or request; to give.en
Award
(intransitive) To determine; to make or grant an award.
Grant
(transitive) To agree with (someone) on (something); to accept (something) for the sake of argument; to admit to (someone) that (something) is true.
Award
(transitive) To give (an award).
Four or five of these medals are awarded every year.
Grant
(intransitive) To assent; to consent.
Award
(transitive) To give (a person) an award.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Grant
The act of granting; a bestowing or conferring; concession; allowance; permission.
Award
To give by sentence or judicial determination; to assign or apportion, after careful regard to the nature of the case.
The arbitrators awarded damages to the complainant
Grant
The yielding or admission of something in dispute.
Award
To give by sentence or judicial determination; to assign or apportion, after careful regard to the nature of the case; to adjudge; as, the arbitrators awarded damages to the complainant.
To reviewThe wrongful sentence, and award a new.
Grant
The thing or property granted; a gift; a boon.
I got a grant from the government to study archeology in Egypt.
Award
To determine; to make an award.
Grant
(law) A transfer of property by deed or writing; especially, an appropriation or conveyance made by the government.
A grant of land or of money
Award
A judgment, sentence, or final decision. Specifically: The decision of arbitrators in a case submitted.
An award had been given against.
Grant
The deed or writing by which such a transfer is made.
Award
The paper containing the decision of arbitrators; that which is warded.
Grant
(informal) An application for a grant monetary boon to aid research or the like.
Award
A grant made by a law court;
He criticized the awarding of compensation by the court
Grant
To give over; to make conveyance of; to give the possession or title of; to convey; - usually in answer to petition.
Grant me the place of this threshing floor.
Award
A tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction;
An award for bravery
Grant
To bestow or confer, with or without compensation, particularly in answer to prayer or request; to give.
Wherefore did God grant me my request.
Award
Something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery;
The prize was a free trip to Europe
Grant
To admit as true what is not yet satisfactorily proved; to yield belief to; to allow; to yield; to concede.
Grant that the Fates have firmed by their decree.
Award
Give, especially as a reward;
Bestow honors and prizes at graduation
Grant
To assent; to consent.
Award
Give on the basis of merit;
Funds are granted to qualified researchers
Grant
The act of granting; a bestowing or conferring; concession; allowance; permission.
Award
Bestow an honor upon
Grant
The yielding or admission of something in dispute.
Grant
The thing or property granted; a gift; a boon.
Grant
A transfer of property by deed or writing; especially, an appropriation or conveyance made by the government; as, a grant of land or of money; also, the deed or writing by which the transfer is made.
Grant
Any monetary aid
Grant
The act of providing a subsidy
Grant
(law) a transfer of property by deed of conveyance
Grant
Scottish painter; cousin of Lytton Strachey and member of the Bloomsbury Group (1885-1978)
Grant
United States actor (born in England) who was the elegant leading man in many films (1904-1986)
Grant
18th President of the United States; commander of the Union armies in the American Civil War (1822-1885)
Grant
A contract granting the right to operate a subsidiary business;
He got the beer concession at the ball park
Grant
A right or privilege that has been granted
Grant
Let have;
Grant permission
Mandela was allowed few visitors in prison
Grant
Give on the basis of merit;
Funds are granted to qualified researchers
Grant
Be willing to concede;
I grant you this much
Grant
Allow to have;
Grant a privilege
Grant
Bestow, especially officially;
Grant a degree
Give a divorce
This bill grants us new rights
Grant
Give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another
Grant
Transfer by deed;
Grant land
Common Curiosities
Can grants and awards both include money?
Yes, both can include money, but grants are primarily financial, whereas awards may or may not include a monetary component.
What is the main difference between a grant and an award?
The main difference is that a grant is financial support for a specific project or research, requiring application and guidelines adherence, while an award is recognition for achievements, often based on merit.
Do you need to apply for both grants and awards?
Grants typically require an application, while awards can be based on nominations or achievements without a formal application process.
Is there an expectation of work for receiving a grant or an award?
Grants require work towards a specific project or research, with expectations for outcomes, whereas awards recognize past achievements without future work expectations.
Are grants only for scientific research?
No, grants can support a wide range of projects, including arts, education, social sciences, and more.
Can anyone apply for a grant?
Eligibility for grants depends on the grantor's criteria, which can include individuals, organizations, researchers, and educators.
What is the purpose of giving awards?
The purpose is to recognize and celebrate excellence, achievements, and contributions in various fields.
What happens if a grant's objectives are not met?
Failure to meet a grant's objectives can result in funding being withdrawn or not renewed.
How do awards benefit the recipient?
Awards elevate the recipient's status, reputation, and credibility in their field, acknowledging their excellence and achievements.
Can an individual receive both a grant and an award?
Yes, an individual can receive both, with a grant supporting their work and an award recognizing their achievements in a particular field.
Can organizations receive grants and awards?
Yes, both grants and awards can be given to individuals or organizations.
Do grants always cover the full cost of a project?
Not always; grants may cover the full cost or only a portion, depending on the grant's size and project needs.
Can a grant lead to receiving an award?
Yes, successful outcomes from grant-funded projects can lead to recognition and awards.
How do recipients use awards?
Awards can be used to enhance professional reputation, for personal fulfillment, or, if monetary, to support the recipient's work or charity.
Are awards always public?
While most awards are public to recognize achievements, some may be given privately.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
