If university research is to remain a high priority in the national education agenda, graduate students must be prepared to move into research positions. Cleveland State University created the Graduate Grant Writing Center to enhance students' understanding of research principles and ethics, appreciation of the value of collaborations and networks, acquisition of proposal writing skills and experience, and, through practice, well-developed funding search skills. Individual consultations, workshops and mini-courses, electronic resources, website links, free online courses, plus peer and faculty mentoring are ways in which the Center provides education, resources, and experience to young scholars. The Center began operations in the 2010-11 academic year on an asset-based paradigm, and is overseen and guided by an Advisory Board comprised of university community members, faculty, and graduate students. This paper examines the development of center programs and their impact on students, scholarship, and twenty-first century skill sets. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)