Every profession is a group of human beings. The cocktail parties and receptions are often the best places to pick up this informal information. Formal papers may not focus on the trendy aspects as much as hallway exchanges. How often have I wished that a young scholar had been present for the information exchanged informally between sessions. Learn about grants.
Every national meeting has one or two sessions devoted to grant writing.
Attend these sessions and learn what might be fundable. This kind of grantsmanship is good for you and good for your school. It is almost impossible to get such information elsewhere, esp. because grants officers are constantly shifting from one endowment or funding agency to another. Meet leaders in the field. Shake Ray Browne's hand and listen to Pat Browne.