Significant Impact: from K Award to Your First Big R01

Many early career researchers believe that once they secure their first R01, things will get a lot easier.  This belief creates some unintended consequences that can actually hinder your progress toward a fulfilling academic career. Tune in to this episode of the podcast to learn about: The unintended consequences of believing that things will get easier once you get an R01 How to regain control o...

Do you have an R01-caliber idea? Doubts and anxieties around this question are hindering so many faculty from moving forward with their R01.  This episode is going to help you release those fears by revealing what’s underneath that worry. Learn how to ignore the noise around you and finish your R01 with renewed confidence.    Tune in to this episode of the podcast to learn about: Three factors tha...

Let’s revisit our top episode of 2023. The goal is not just to get that first big research grant funded, the goal is to thrive.   And if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, or you start doing what you see other (stressed out, overstretched) PIs doing—you’re setting yourself up to fail. So let’s go back to a listener favorite and start to think beyond just that first R01. What does a successful...

For women faculty, challenging norms and defying expectations are pretty much a necessity if you want to have a successful career on your own terms.   One of the hardest parts about that—even though it gives you the most fulfillment in the long run—is learning to embrace the discomfort that comes with pushing back against “how we do things around here” and being willing to make decisions that defy...

We all need reminders of how important it is to have trust in yourself so you can stay focused on your North Star.  So, let’s revisit an episode that speaks volumes on this topic with some new insights into my own self-trust experience that will encourage you to begin your new year with renewed trust in yourself.   If you lack trust in yourself, you’re on a career path that’s less about research a...

As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the leadership lessons that profoundly shaped me in 2023.  As you go from mentee to leader on your road to your first big R01, these same six lessons can help you reshape your approach to achieving R01 funding, becoming a better leader, and having a long, successful research career.  I hope you can take what I’ve learned and let it guide th...

Having a big goal is great, but how are you going to get to where you want to go? It’s easy to get stuck when you can’t see all the steps from A to Z, but it’s impossible to know exactly how your goal is going to play out. So I want you to focus on something different: resourcing your goals.  In this episode, I want to show you how to prepare to achieve your goals by looking at the three big resou...

As ambitious academics, you’re driven by a pursuit of excellence, but at what cost?  I want to peel back the layers of what it means to maintain internal integrity while entering into a world of high standards and pitfalls of unrealistic expectations.  Listen as we explore the art of setting big goals, understanding the importance of self-compassion, and cultivating trust in our own reliability. I...

You’ve likely faced moments where your aspirations seemed out of reach. You may not have even considered a particular path because it seemed impossible.  But what if “impossible” is a belief instead of a fact?  In this episode, we’ll explore how to shift from self-limitation to self-empowerment, how to challenge your beliefs, and the importance of community in expanding what’s possible. Tune in to...

Sometimes, awards and recognition don’t tell the full story. In this episode, we reflect on the profound and emotional story of Dr. Katalin Karikó, who shares the Nobel Prize in Medicine with Dr. Drew Weissman for their trailblazing work on mRNA—a foundational piece of the puzzle for developing the COVID-19 vaccine. As much as she is celebrated, Dr. Karikó’s journey serves as a testament to her re...

There’s a philosophy that has shaped my business and can grant you some much-needed wisdom as you manage your academic journey, especially as an early career researcher:  “You can’t expect your client to be a better person than you are.” But what does this mean for you as a grant writer, a solo PI, and a leader of your projects?  That’s what we dive into in this episode—navigating through the impo...

This episode is especially close to my heart as I share some insights from the past several months of running my business while supporting a team member on maternity leave. It's been a period of many challenging decisions, and I've had a chance to reflect deeply on my leadership style and the principles that guide me.  I realize it’s not much different than what early career researchers...

It's no secret that you constantly feel like you’re drowning in tasks and pulled in a million different directions as you try to please everyone around you. But it's time to pause, reassess, and reclaim your time. And it starts with knowing your priorities and ends with learning how to say no. I want to unravel why we try to prioritize every single thing and help you figure out what real...

My guest, Rebecca Fischer, epidemiologist and Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University, was feeling both hopeful and confused as she contemplated writing her first R01. Drowning in commitments, Rebecca echoed a sentiment many early career researchers feel: "What exactly am I doing? Can I truly get where I dream of being?"  Rebecca took a leap of faith joining us, not just with the...

“Feeling relaxed and happy with my latest accomplishment,”…said no overachiever ever. As an overachieving academic, it’s super difficult to celebrate the wins because no win is ever good enough. And it’s never good enough because there’s always more to be accomplished.  With the pressure of doing all it takes to thrive in academia, especially as a woman, it’s no surprise that instead of finding pr...

As a recovering people pleaser, I see the “perceived benefits” of being the best team player you can be.  But who gets those benefits? If all of your time and energy is focused on helping everyone else get what they want, it’s likely you’re the one being left out of the benefits equation.  When your focus is on other people before yourself, especially if you’re a pre-tenure faculty member, not onl...

My guest today, Ana Progovac, Ph. D., health services researcher and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard University, went through the full range of thoughts and emotions during her transition from student to independent investigator, leading up to submitting her first big research project grant.  She experienced the same questions you have.  How do I handle the transition? How do I catch...

As a recovering high achiever, I know how important it is to give it your all and expect to get your first submission funded. But the reality is, when it comes to your R01, your high standards can set you up for failure. In this episode, learn why lowering your standards and expectations can be the game-changers for improving your grantsmanship, becoming a better researcher, and getting funded fas...

As coaching becomes more common in academic spaces, it’s easy to see it as a way to help you deal with “individual” issues like impostor syndrome and time management—but those issues are often institutional failures disguised as individual problems.  Which means that coaching around those issues without considering the context of institutional and systemic failures in academia won’t get you anywhe...

A full year to write your R01 sounds like a burden for overachievers. That’s a full year of prepping, planning, and writing. A full year of just getting started. While some early career researchers might want to speed up the process with a super condensed timeline because they worry about “running out of time”, what I see over and over again is these same people start and then quickly become overw...

Revisiting the foundations of your research career doesn’t have to feel like a step backward.  Your why, what, and how are not just tools to get you started on your K Award to R01 journey. They’re key parts of your identity as a researcher that will keep you grounded, confident, and focused on your North Star. Listen and discover why establishing your first principles and using them as a barometer...

The mindset shift from mentee to PI doesn’t always happen overnight. Sometimes it’s a progression where each step you take gets you closer to believing you’re enough to get the job done. Kristin O’Grady joined my group coaching program after trying other grant workshops that left her with more questions than answers. In our community, Kristin started making slow but steady progress that created a...

In this listener-inspired episode, I want to shed light on one of the parts of the grant writing process that’s not discussed often or openly as much as it should but has a significant impact on researchers at all stages of their career–the emotional challenges.  Let’s discuss these very real challenges so you can begin to redefine success, be prepared for the inevitable tough times, and appreciat...

Betting on yourself can feel like you're jumping off a cliff. It’s scary—and exhilarating. When you make that leap to bet on yourself, remember that you aren’t jumping without some reassurance that you’re going to land smoothly. That’s because you have years of experience that have brought you to this point in your career, and it will get you to your R01.  If you believe in yourself and follo...

Aside from covering the absolute necessities to get their labs set up, plenty of early career faculty see their startup funds as a safety net to get them through rough patches when they don’t have the grant funding they need.   But what if you thought about startup funds differently? What if you thought about them as an investment in getting you started—more specifically, as an investment in your...