Grantsmanship: achieving success in research funding

High-quality research is seldom feasible without skillful grantsmanship. Like most skills it is learnt and then improved by practice. Fortunately, there is a consistent formula to constructing a research grant, provided certain guidelines are followed. The grant application need not be a significant barrier between a good idea and its realization in improvements to patient care. This paper outlines the essential principles in the construction of the successful research grant application.