• It is important not to be intellectually isolated — surround yourself with colleagues you can brainstorm with, even if this means accessing them on the Internet.
   
• Think international. Be aware of international programs such as Global Change, ocean drilling, pole-equator-pole, and counterparts in other disciplines.
   
• Make use of the resources at hand (you can learn much about a field using the library alone). Read international general science journals to be cognizant as to what is current in one's own and other fields.
   
• Attend conferences in your area of interest and introduce yourself to others there.
   
• Make yourself known to a field — i. e. volunteer to review grants, write review articles, chair or organize research symposia etc.
   
• Volunteer to speak and interact with a constituency group (i.e. diabetic patients, distressed farmers etc.) — their problems and questions can lead to fruitful projects that can benefit you and them.
   
• Promote colleagues to Steacie, Killam, Royal Society, and counterparts in other disciplines.
   
• Get your department head or regional directors to nominate you to grant council selection committees, and equivalents. It is a perfect opportunity to learn what is going on across Canada, and to read many grant proposals.
   
• Try to establish research networks close to home — it is always easier to collaborate with your neighbour.
   
• Explore what resources are available on campus — what you need may be available here.
   
• Take a sabbatical to learn new research approaches or generate preliminary data for future grant applications etc.
   
• When teaching upper-level undergraduate courses, talk about your own research interests — it is a great way to advertise for future graduate students.
   
• Teach graduate students — these bright young minds are a wonderful resource for generating new ideas that may lead to the formulation of testable hypotheses.
   
• Hire and retain a good technician or two. They are a valuable asset in keeping a long-term memory in the lab and facilitating smooth running thereof. Students rely heavily on them for advice and they are ideal to give the riskier projects to so the more "sure" ones can go to the students.
   
• Novel approaches or insights into your own area of research can be developed by adapting an approach, form of analysis, finding or technique from a related field (i.e. animal genetics is behind human genetics so read human genetics literature and/or go to human genetics meetings too).
   
• Don't be afraid to ask someone to serve as a mentor, or to ask if they would mind you using their facility to generate some preliminary data.
   
• Become a co-applicant on a grant if you do not feel that you are ready to be the principal investigator.
   
• Ask several colleagues in the field who have written successful grants if you may read their applications so that you can get a feel for the general flow and format of such a proposal.
   
• Be cognizant of where research funding is available in the private and public sectors (e.g., Nortel).
   
• Remember that most original thoughts arise when you are in a relaxed state of mind (i.e. bathtub science, drinks shared with colleagues, long drives in from the farm, etc.).

Do

• Start early — it takes many months to put together an application. Get the application guide and other materials well in advance of the closing date for applications.
   
• Think the project through, anticipating questions and objections to your hypotheses, theoretical approach, research plan, and budget allocations.
   
• Find out who is on the adjudication committee to which you will be applying. The composition of last competition's adjudication committees, two-thirds of whom usually continue to the next competition, is usually published in the council/agency's annual report.
   
• Remember that you have three audiences to convince: the council/agency program officer, the external assessor (a specialist in your field), and the members of the adjudication committee (not all of whom will be specialists in your field).
   
• Pay special attention to the preparation of the one-page summary of the project. Unlike the detailed project description, all members of the adjudication committee will probably read this.
   
• Justify in writing every major category of expenditure that is listed in the summary budget. Pay special attention to the research time stipend section, if you are applying for release time. This will be evaluated by the officials of your own university and by external assessors, but not by the adjudication committee.
   
• Write the project summary, detailed project description, and budget justification as clearly and simply as you can and where possible, include preliminary data to show feasibility.
   
• Have an experienced colleague or two look over the application. Inquire who among faculty in your area has had experience on an adjudication committee recently. Ask an experienced adjudicator to read over your application.
   
• Remember that the Internet extends the range and number of experienced colleagues who potentially can help you fashion a persuasive application. Lead-time is especially important if you are applying for a research time stipend.
   
• Enlist the support of an expert as a collaborator or co-applicant if you do not have the required expertise in an approach that you plan to use and that is critical to the project's success.
   
• Get the application completed in good time to secure the necessary signatures from University officials without undue hassle for you and/or them.
   
• Sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for the receipt of good news.
   

Don't

• Leave preparation of the application until the last few weeks before the deadline.
   
• Forget to leave adequate time for review of the application, by you and by other experienced applicants.
   
• Ignore the "state of the art" in your application. You're writing to persuade informed people that you know what you are going to do and why you are going to do it.
   
• Use jargon or obscure or esoteric language. Your application might go to an adjudication committee containing some people who are not specialists in your field. Remember, too, that your application might be read by scholars whose first language is not yours.
   
• Inflate your budget. Adjudication committees sometimes act like forensic auditors. A budget that is judged non-credible could render the whole application suspect.
   
• Ignore help that is available to you: council program officers, experienced colleagues, Office of Research Services.
   
• Pretend it's a new application if it's a re-application.
   
• Ignore the criticisms made on an earlier application if it's a re-application for the same project.
   
• Give up.