Check grant proposal against word limits.
Grant word limits are enforced mechanically and, unlike coursework, there is usually no tolerance — many funders reject over-length proposals administratively without review, which means a 15 percent overrun wastes months of work. Two details decide the real number. Whether references count toward the limit varies by funder and changes the picture substantially, since a reference list can be 700 words on its own. And the per-section budget matters more than the total: exceeding one section's cap while under the overall total still fails, because the caps are usually applied field by field in the submission portal.
Countable words
Countable = drafted words + reference list words if the funder counts them
Cut required
Cut % = (countable - limit) / countable x 100
Frequently, yes, and administratively — before any reviewer reads the science. Submission portals commonly truncate or refuse over-length fields outright. Treat the limit as absolute rather than a guideline, and leave a small margin for late edits.
Cut background before method. Reviewers are experts and do not need the field explained; they need your approach, feasibility and why you can deliver it. Also move anything permitted into figures, tables and appendices, which are often outside the word count.