[ModernMech]

It's true that most grant money goes to go to the largest projects, and the largest projects are run by the most well-connected people with the most established research agendas.

But that doesn't mean there isn't money for new researchers who are challenging the establishment. New faculty are afforded a startup package which these days can be in the millions if the research agenda is solid and ambitious.

For those "tech geniuses" who can't get funding, their proposals usually (IME) go like this:

  Do you have any experience leading a large research project of the scale you're proposing -- I was a research assistant once, does that count?
  Have you ever managed a budget this large? -- I've never seen that much money in my life, no.
  What kind of team are you putting together to accomplish this? -- Doing it all myself
  What are the risks of failure and how will you mitigate them? -- No risks, I've already accounted for them all with my perfect plan.
  Why is your method better than the ones in the literature? -- Those idea are old. My ideas are new and clearly better.
  How will your research benefit society? -- Just read the title again, it's self evident.
  How will your research benefit your community? -- Why do I even have to articulate this??
  What's your long-term funding strategy? -- I figured you'd give me all the money I need, forever.

Funding decision: denied

But when you ask them, they'll tell you: "I wasn't funded because they're a bunch of old geezers who didn't appreciate my genius!"