For example, Affatigato runs a community outreach program in which disadvantaged youths work in the lab. They shadow an undergraduate for a day. A career in research, however, involves much more than a quest for knowledge. It entails the patience to sustain a methodical approach to answering a question and testing that answer for validity. But a career in research also involves a methodical approach to gaining financial support, an aspect which some engineers and scientists dread.
Projects demand equipment, personnel and laboratories, all of which require financial support.
Researchers who work for a corporation may have these concerns taken care of internally. Those who work for universities, however, may be required to seek support elsewhere, and in many cases this means turning to a federal agency that issues research grants. Unfortunately, there never seems to be enough money for everyone, so the competition is tough. Often, the deciding factor is the proposal you submit. Simply put, a grant proposal is a detailed explanation of the preliminary work you've done, the results, your plans for future research on the topic, anticipated results and applications and, of course, monetary requirements.