Funding strategies for emergency medicine research

The importance of adequate funding for sustaining research efforts cannot be overemphasized. This article addresses funding strategies for emergency physicians including the necessity of establishing a research track record, developing a well-written grant proposal, and anticipating the grant review process. Funding sources are reviewed with an emphasis on federal institute support and private foundations (including the Emergency Medicine Foundation) in the United States. Sources of current grant support information available from the Internet are provided. Recommendations for enhancing research funding in emergency medicine are made, including enhancement of formal research training, promotion of emergency medicine research and investigators, federal study section membership, and collaboration with established investigators.