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 graduate students on the strategies of applying for student research awards in ecological sciences. Participants will be able to communicate directly with a panel of representatives from different scientific funding agencies about writing competitive grant proposals for graduate student awards. The panel will also consist of faculty who have served on proposal review panels and graduate students who have successfully obtained grants. A funding agency representative will present the basics of how to choose the right funding source, how to obtain and use proposal guidelines, and what to include as essential components of a proposal package. The panelists 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 reviewers will emphasize what they look for in a grant proposal, what constitutes a good proposal, as well as what to avoid including in proposals (bad proposals). In addition, the panelists will discuss how to develop working relationships with granting agencies and what to do if the proposal is rejected. Each participant will receive a packet from the panelists detailing their top 10 most important aspects of preparing a competitive student grant proposal.