If you are serious about research and want it to be a significant part of your career, there are many avenues toward gaining initial funding and experience.

Consider a research fellowship.  There are many grants that will fund a fellow, and many institutions have grants that fund the institution for their fellowship.   In order to be a truly successful career researcher, you need research training. A fellowship is ideal for this purpose since it typically designates time and training for this purpose.

• Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF) grants
  
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) grants
  • Overview of all AHRQ grant mechanisms
    
  • Overview of AHRQ research training programs
• SAEM foundation grants
• NIH (Career Development) awards 
  
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  
• Other private foundations
  • The Foundation Center is a good source for foundation information
    
• Participation as a co-PI for a study:  If you are not quite ready for leading a study independently, one way to learn is to be a part of a team of investigators.  Ask around your institution or network with others at SAEM.
• Participation as a study site for a multi-center trial this is another stepping stone to more independent work (or can be a career in itself).  This may be an option if your department already has the resources and experience in doing such studies.
• Department of Health and Human Services
  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ, see above)
  • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
  • Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
  • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA)
• Department of Transportation
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
    Office of Emergency Medical Services
• Department of Justice
  • Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
  • Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
  • Office on Violence Against Women (OVAW)
• Department of Homeland Security
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)