Significant Impact: from K Award to Your First Big R01

Whether you’re ready to believe it or not, you’re the golden goose of your career. The quicker you understand that, the better equipped you’ll be to protect yourself from being spread so thin that you can’t operate at your best. Women in research aren’t socially conditioned to treat themselves as the main character, even in their own story, but if you want your research career to reach its full po...

Overachievers, by nature, are highly productive…or so it seems.  Much of what we see in academia that people call productivity is closer to productivity theater than it is to actual meaningful work that moves you and your department closer to those big goals.  It’s not just an overachiever problem. It’s a system problem. From productivity-draining institution-mandated quotas to the lies you tell o...

One of the most common and most dangerous traits of high-achieving academics is perfectionism.  Working with early career researchers, I’ve learned that perfectionism is doing more than causing delays because you want your R01 to be perfect. It’s hiding a big fear that academics must overcome if they want to live out their dreams as a researcher. The fear of being criticized.  Let’s talk about why...

Mentorship is not the same as coaching. Even with great mentors who support you to pursue the path you want, the “how” of it all isn’t often something they can help you with—because that’s the part you need to figure out for yourself. That’s where coaching comes in—helping you to find the answers for yourself and create your own path. My guest this week is sharing how she did just that.    Kate Ca...

If you lack trust in yourself, you’re on a career path that’s less about research and more about decision-doubting and people-pleasing. Not knowing how to trust yourself in the world of academia, where women are already playing from way behind, is going to hold you back even more from achieving your career goals unless you experience a mindset shift. A shift that will help you overcome your doubts...

It’s easy to say that converting your NIH K Award to your R01 is the most important thing in your career.  Saying this out loud might be easy, but living this priority out loud isn’t always so simple.  Outside influences have such a strong pull on how you spend your time, especially if you haven’t determined what success looks like for you and dedicated your actions to achieving your definition of...

If you’re super focused on the grant writing part of converting your K Award to your R01, it’s time to think bigger.  Women researchers who make it all about grant writing are missing a prime opportunity to design a research career they love and to be ready for the hurdles they’ll face as a woman in academia.  Listen in to this week’s episode as we discuss three ways you can use your North Star to...

For women and marginalized communities in academia, this is the norm.  Institution insiders excitedly share with you the “blueprint” for success, which is nothing more than coded language for “this is how we do things around here, and you need to fall in line if you want any form of success.“ But this is *your* career. And if you want to have a research career that gives you the freedom to put you...

Why does conscious and unconscious decision-making matter at this specific point in your research career? The easy answer? Because your whole career is based on a series of choices. Every yes and every no has an impact on what gets done and what gets pushed to the side.  Say yes impulsively and you risk giving all your time and energy to something that doesn’t fulfill you or your ultimate goal of...

What does a successful research career look like for you? If it’s all about checking boxes to meet the requirements for tenure and promotion, I have some news for you. It’s time to rethink your priorities–and think deeper!  If you’re ready to be the best PI you can be, let’s learn how to overcome the mindset pitfalls that can make or break your career.   Tune in to this episode of the podcast to d...

Is your mindset keeping you from taking it to the next level in your research career? Shifting from the mentee mindset to the PI mindset is key to helping you navigate the K to R transition. But how? Where do you start? Tune in to this episode of the podcast to discover: The key indicators of the mentee mindset How your socialization is holding you back from being a leader How to step into your le...

Welcome to the very first episode of the Significant Impact Podcast! The purpose of this show is to help overstretched, overachieving women faculty convert their career development award into their first big R01 with purpose, ease, and joy. Tune in to discover rarely-discussed topics, all geared toward women in biomedical research who are preparing to convert their NIH Career Development Award to...

For women faculty, transitioning from a Career Development (K) Award to your first NIH R01 is about more than just writing a fundable grant. Host and expert NIH Grant Consultant Sarah Dobson guides early career researchers through the roadmap for overcoming the hurdles of being a woman in academia and avoiding the K cliff. She’s ready to see passionate and tenacious women K Award recipients level...