Grant writing skills are essential to a successful scientific research career. Today, the increasing competition for grant funding has turned grantsmanship into both an art and a science. The purpose of this workshop is to provide information for students and postdocs on the processes and strategies of applying for research awards in ecological sciences. Participants will be able to communicate directly with a panel of representatives and reviewers from different scientific funding agencies and foundations about the opportunities and challenges of writing competitive grant proposals. Members of the panel will discuss the basics of how to choose the right funding agency, how to obtain and use proposal guidelines, and what to include as essential components of a grant proposal package. They will also cover the steps involved in preparing a grant proposal, including planning, researching data and resources, writing and submitting the proposal, and following up with a submission. The panelists will emphasize what reviewers look for in a grant proposal, what constitutes a good proposal, as well as what to avoid including in proposals (bad proposals). In addition, they will discuss how to develop working relationships with granting agencies and what to do if the proposal is rejected. By participating in this workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of the grant funding procedure and hopefully become motivated about the funding possibilities for their own research.