In Gray and Drew's, hints 53 and 54 offer very useful tips on grants. As they say in hint 53 (learn grantsmanship), it is a skill like any other. They suggest attending a workshop if necessary. Since it is a skill, it can be acquired, and learned. It also needs practices to master this skill. They mention the powerful 100 (hint 2). Those powerful 100 don't emerge from nowhere. They too have to start their career as a novice. Why do they become the powerful 100 and others don't? One of the reasons is that they manage to master some critical skills that are needed in their academic career.

Hint 54 gives some points on writing a grant proposal. It says that "keep the budget small or at least reasonable". This one is very important. I have experiences in writing grant proposals. The first grant is usually the most difficult one to come by in that you have no track record. Once you get your first grant, it will be a lot easier for you to get your second. Keeping your budget small would make it easier for your grant to be granted. If you have a very big project for a grant, my advice is that you might want to break it into several smaller projects. By doing so, you submit a smaller project with smaller budget for a grant. When you come through with your first small project, your chances will be much better for your subsequent projects. "Don't be modest", OK. But bear in mind that your proposal should sound like feasible.

Another advice of mine is that a researcher should establish close ties with industries. When you have close ties with the industries, you will be able to know what they really need to know about from your research. You will also have the savvy to submit a research proposal that can elicit support from the industries.