The purpose of the symposium is to improve the number of applications to, and the success rate of, proposals from new investigators for USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. I will provide a top 10 list of tools to assist stakeholders in developing and strengthening their grant-writing skills and knowledge. This list of tools will enhance an applicant’s ability to manage and understand proposal development and provide a map to assist new investigators with navigating the proposal submission process. As an institute, it is imperative that we make a concerted effort to reach out to the graduate student community, as they are our rising new investigators. Making this community more comfortable with USDA’s funding portfolio and system will increase the likelihood of success and ensure the success of our next generation of agriculture researchers and educators.