For many medical researchers, finding sources of grant money can be a daunting task. Every researcher needs funding, but where to begin? What sources of funding are out there? And how can they be obtained? Abubakar Atiq Durrani, a renowned spinal researcher with four patents to his name, has been a beneficiary of several corporate research grants, a type of grant many medical researchers seek. As the recipient of corporate grants totaling near $2 million, Abubakar Atiq Durrani can be considered an expert on the subject. Here he gives a rundown on corporate research grants and how to apply for them.

Corporate research grants are monies given by corporations to finance research projects. That is a simple sounding overview, but it is true. No matter what your level or type of research, there will be a corporation out there interested in financing you, says Abubakar Atiq Durrani. It is all a matter of finding the right match. Many corporations are interested in financing projects which have some sort of future financial benefit for the corporation, such as researching a new drug or a new technology that can be marketed to the public or to other businesses.

These sorts of grants will appeal to you if you are in those specific lines of research. But, says Abubakar Atiq Durrani, there are also corporations who finance research in the feel-good arenas, such as cancer research, research for childrens medical care, and other research with altruistic motives. The cynical might say that these corporations fund such research to enhance their own images, but the fact of the matter is that they do finance real, relevant research projects, says Abubakar Atiq Durrani. Therefore their motives are largely irrelevant from a research standpoint.

In order to obtain corporate funding for yourself, it is important to do the legwork, according to Abubakar Atiq Durrani. It is up to you to find the corporate sponsor whose funding goals match your research goals, to reach out to that entity, and to establish a rapport and give a good account of your motives and proposed research. Grants are normally given to only the strongest candidates, so make sure you are confident in the importance and relevance of your research and are able to convince potential investors as well, says Abubakar Atiq Durrani. Do that and you will find getting the funding you need is not so difficult after all.