Obtaining research funding is central to the research process. However many (clinician-) scientists receive little, or no, training in the process of writing a successful grant application. In an era of reductions in research budgets and application success rates, the ability to construct a well presented, clear, articulate proposal is becoming more important than ever. Obtaining grants is a method to achieve your long term research goals. If you are able to formulate these long term goals, it is relevant to explore the market and investigate all potential grant opportunities. Finally, we will provide an outline of key elements of successful research grants.