Knowledge Grant
Build data capability and research skills to better understand and respond to community need.
Knowledge Grants support community legal organisations to undertake a research project to:
- develop a new understanding of the legal needs of Victorians through collection of data and information
- improve capability to collect, analyse and use data and information about particular audiences
- share information with other organisations or agencies which results in a better understanding of the target group and ways to address need effectively.
The types of projects likely to be funded involve:
- investigation into a specific civil legal issue through collection and collation of data and information.
- using data to identify a community profile using a range of data sources, such as service data, ABS data, data dashboards, community or client feedback.
- piloting a new service model, practice or data collection approach that involves the collection of new or additional data and information about clients and their needs.
See the projects we have previously supported.
Grant criteria
In addition to meeting the object of Victoria Law Foundation and grant aims, priority will be given to applications that can demonstrate the guiding principles.
Guiding principles
Impact
Projects funded through the Knowledge Grant program should lead to better services, programs or interventions for Victorians.
Sustainability
The skills, systems, processes and data you gather as part of your project should be useful beyond the life of your project. This might include how you work with client groups, deliver your service, allocate resources or advocate for law reform.
Ethical standards
It is a requirement that any Knowledge Grant research project complies with best practice guidelines, codes and legislation relating to ethical research.
We have further guidance, information and templates available for developing your proposal.
Application Timeline
Applications for 2023/24 Knowledge Grants are closed.
Eligibility
Knowledge Grant applications are only open to community legal services or not-for-profit community organisations that provide a dedicated legal service.
Research organisations, courts, tribunals, statutory bodies or another community legal service may consider partnering with a community legal organisation to provide guidance and expertise or pool resources to undertake a research project where there is shared interest.
We only fund organisations – individuals are not able to apply.
Preparing your application
We offer a range of guidance, support and resources to help develop your application.
Submit an application
We use SmartyGrants to manage our grant applications.
Related Resources
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Case studies
Learn more about some of the projects funded by our grants.
Knowledge Grant
projects we've funded
This project will build an understanding of the complexities of family dynamics, care arrangements, and family violence. This work aims to build a foundational knowledge base for caregivers, care recipients and multidisciplinary service providers to inform monitoring procedures, preventive interventions, and safety planning.
This project will enable Tenants Victoria to develop an informed understanding of the legal needs of single-parent renters and identify factors to enhance the impact of its legal assistance service model with this cohort.
Reproductive coercion and abuse (RCA) is emerging as a critical and under-researched form of family/intimate partner violence. South-East Monash Legal Service seek to better understand RCA in the legal context, and identify effective strategies and interventions to ensure that the legal assistance sector is able to effectively support disclosures of RCA.
Westjustice will conduct research into their legal capability to understand their legal needs and adapt legal services to improve access to the service.
Following the shift to routine digital engagement when applying to the court for family violence intervention orders, this partnership project between Northern Community Legal Centre and the Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights will unpack the range of process issues and barriers to participation faced by culturally and linguistically diverse women within Melbourne’s North-West.
Monash Law Clinics will explore how future planning and guardianship laws might be used to identify family violence and improve safety for victims of family violence by restricting coercive behaviour by the perpetrator. The research concentrates on a specific form of family violence and will look at the role Health Justice Partnerships play in promoting preventative legal practices.
The Law and Advocacy Centre for Women, in partnership with Elizabeth Morgan House and researchers from the University of Melbourne, seek to identify barriers and legal needs of women in custody to maintain contact with their children where child protection is involved. The project addresses the gaps in knowledge and data relating to the unmet legal and support needs for women who are in the criminal justice system, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and also have child protection involvement.
This project aims to improve the provision of targeted and timely legal help and information for Victorians with financial legal problems by investigating help-seeker data and conducting research with clients and referral partners to identify earlier opportunities for legal help that reduces financial legal problems escalating to court.
Keep in touch
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