Grants and Grant Writing: Data and Statistics Resources

Resources on grants and grant writing for those in the sciences (specifically the health sciences)

Data and Statistics Sources

Data are a key component of grant writing and needs assessment.

American FactFinder  The U.S. Census and American Community Survey data sets provide information on people, education, employment, income, housing, poverty, health insurance, etc. A wealth of data that will help you tell the story of your community and make your case for your program.

American Community Survey   The ACS is a sample survey.  It goes to about 3% of households in a given year, as compared to the decennial census long form which went to 1 in 6 households once every 10 years.  It covers more topics than the decennial census.  Questions asked cover: age, sex, race, family and relationships, income and benefits, health insurance, education, veteran status, disabilities, where you work and how you get there, where you live and how much you pay for some essentials, and other topics related to people, households, families and housing.

Annie E. Casey Foundation - Kids Count  The Annie E. Casey Foundation compiles and publishes statistics on the status of children in the U.S. in its annual Kids Count volume. The data is available online and in print. The foundation web site also offers online databases and analytical tools.

Cancer Statistics from National Cancer Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health.

ChildStats.gov The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, or the Forum, is a working group of Federal agencies that collect, analyze, and report data on issues related to children and families. The Forum has partners from 22 Federal agencies as well as partners in private research organizations.

FirstGov: Reference Data and Statistics Basic gateway site to government statistics with links to core sites and departments within the U.S. federal government.

HHS Data Council Gateway to Data and Statistics  This site includes a datafinder search tool, meta directory of HHS data resources, and direct links to major surveys and data systems.

National Center for Health Statistics The National Center for Health Statistics is the major data gathering arm of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This site offers basic statistics as well as tabulated state data and micro-data access. The link to "Publications and Information Products" includes ordering information.

Population Reference Bureau PRB Library contains online data on population and health as well as information on ordering paper copies of their publications. The Datafinder section of this site offers detailed searching using many variables for national and international data.

U.S. Bureau of the Census  A great source of statistical data on the population of the US.  Includes demographic, educational, housing, and financial data broken down by Census track, block, or block group, zip code, congressional district, state, region, or national.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The Health and Human Services Department's reference collections site provides links to statistics in major topical areas including adoption, child care, family assistance, TANF, substance abuse, health and medicine. Other links to data within Health and Human Services are listed below.

U.S. Department of Labor  A resource for statistics on labor, economics, and health and safety issues.

Mapping Data

One of the best ways for understanding and visualizing data is to create maps. Within a map, complicated data often appears more simple and clear to the viewer. 

American Factfinder  The American Factfinder has excellent mapping capabilities. The site can sometimes be slow or buggy, so be patient. You can control classification (breaks), colors, and transparency of the main variable you are mapping. You can also control what other information appears on the map, including adding labels, boundaries, and text callouts. Output options are varied, though no vector graphics output is available.