Getting through the curriculum, participating in the calls, and completing the worksheets should probably take you about 3-4 hours each week.

But we recommend that you get in the habit of protecting at least 6 hours per week to both the program and to advancing your academic writing.

If that seems like a lot: you’re right! It is a lot.

That’s kind of the point. We want you to prioritize grant writing in a way that you very likely haven’t done before. And if you want to succeed at the R01 level, this is an absolute must.

If you can’t possibly imagine where you’re going to find those 6 hours? That’s actually what we tackle inside Month 1 of the program, so don’t worry too much if those 6 hours aren’t immediately available.

BUT: if the mere idea of setting boundaries, saying no to people, and gracefully exiting from existing commitments gives you hives and is something you won’t even consider - this is not the program for you.

The very first thing you do in the program is get more clear and courageous about how you spend your time. So yes, we’re going to ask you to do some brave and scary stuff. We’re here to coach you and cheer you on, but if you’re not open to taking some risks (and being supported to do so), this isn’t the place for you.

I know you’re working under circumstances that aren’t even close to ideal.

You’ve succeeded against all odds to be where you are, and you’re told (implicitly at best, overtly at worst) that you’re lucky to be here. On top of which, your university is supporting you less than ever while asking more of you than ever before.

That’s why it’s so important for you to look out for yourself.

Because let’s face it: Your research success doesn’t hinge on your ability to complete administrative work, attend a meeting, or be the best instructor your students have ever had.

Your ability to secure grant funding—repeatedly—is pretty much the only thing that will give you the career security you crave.

So let’s talk about “finding the time”. Or, as I teach inside the program, “finding your career compass”.

Really, there are just 3 steps to finding the time:

1. Identify the one big juicy scientific problem you’re interested in solving

2. Get clear on the gaps you need to fill that will help solve it

3. Say no to everything – work-related – that will take you away from that goal

I know, I know: Easier said than done, right?

But please believe me when I tell you that your overextension is not going to end until you get very clear on your priorities.

When you join me inside K to R Essentials we’ll actually dive deep into how to do this: it’s the very first activity inside Month 1 and it’s something we revisit in our semi-monthly group coaching calls.

Yes, it may take a few hours to consume the trainings & attend the calls, but suddenly, you’ll be getting so much more work done during your regular writing blocks, you might even have time to *gasp* take a break, have a nap, or read a book that isn’t related to your work.

One of the things I’ve observed as an academic career coach is that people will do truly wild things when they think they’re behind.

But being “behind” is just a story you’re telling yourself—and the actions you take in the name of being behind just reinforce that story. Namely: you panic, and you make things worse instead of better.

I’ve encouraged many of our students to bring their beliefs about being “behind” (in the program or in some other facet of their career) to one of our group coaching sessions so that they can get to the bottom of what’s really going on—and by getting coached on this they’re able to notice how their thoughts influence their actions…and then do something about it. Works every time!

One of the lessons we cover in Month 1 is about establishing priorities and making time for activities that matter to you and align with your goals. So some questions to ask yourself before you register for this program (or any other, for that matter) are, “how important is it to me to achieve the outcomes this program is promising?” and “how will I make the time to participate so that I’m able to achieve those outcomes?” and “if I say yes to this, what will I have to say no to?”

Also, if this is helpful for you, one of the ways that I personally combat feeling “behind” in a course or program is by reminding myself that I’ll get exactly what I need from any program I enroll in. I don’t need to be the very best student or complete every single assignment—I just focus on doing what I can, and I trust that I’ll get what I need.

And by the way, a lot of our students say that the very first lesson in Month 1 is the thing that they’ll carry with them throughout their career—so I’ve done my best to give you a career-altering lesson right off the bat, when you’re most motivated to engage with the curriculum.

And just to be clear, we keep the curriculum pretty lean so that there’s lots of time for implementation. Remember that the course is 4 months long, so you can always “catch up” if you find yourself “falling behind”.

Bottom line: eyes on your own paper. There is no behind.

First off: this is not a grant writing program. We’re not here to write a grant (yet). Sure, you’ll write an outline of your Specific Aims page, but you won’t learn the mechanics of writing a competitive R01 (that part comes later).

This is really a grantsmanship program—in the sense that it teaches you the core skills and strategies to become a successful, prolific independent researcher who can reliably and efficiently secure major research grant funding whenever you want to. And once you’ve wrapped your head around those skills, you’re ready to move on to the nuts-and-bolts of mastering a specific grant mechanism like the NIH R01. (Yes, I know that mindset and leadership aren’t generally considered grantsmanship skills, but please trust me when I tell you that they very much are. Ask me how I know.)

So: if you’re looking for an R01 grant writing program, K to R Essentials is not the program for you. If you’d rather skip the foundational stuff and dive right into writing an R01, there’s always our self-paced R01 grant writing course. Or whatever courses or seminars or free webinars you can get your hands on. Just do me one favor, ok? Pay attention to how stressed and overwhelmed you feel as you go it alone. If you decide you could use some support setting up some career success systems that will make the whole grant writing thing easier, we’re ready for you.

So if you see the value of setting yourself up for long-term grant (and career) success, you’re definitely in the right place.

I encourage you to see investing in a program like this as an investment in yourself, the sustainability of your career, and your ability to secure grant funding in a reliable, efficient way—you’re not just paying for a 4-month program, because what you learn will pay dividends for the rest of your research career.

Short answer: absolutely not.

Go ahead and submit your R01, recover from the suffer-fest, and then if you’re still interested in honing some foundational skills, come back and join us next time.

But if you’re not 100% committed to that plan, here’s my (slightly spicy) opinion on this:

Sprinting towards your very first R01 submission without adequate grant-writing skills and tools—much less the vision and sense of direction you need to be successful—is like being the pilot of a jumbo jet trying to take off on a very short runway.

In other words: you’re white-knuckling it and making it WAY harder than it needs to be.

And look: I understand. The K cliff is not all that far off, somebody (or many somebodies) told you that it’s time to get started, and you already know that it’s probably going to take more than one shot to get your R01 funded, so you might as well get the first one over with.

Sure, it’s probably a good experience to get the first one outta the way, get a taste of the process and all that. But if you’re grinding yourself into the ground to get this first one out the door?

You’ll end up closer to the K cliff instead of avoiding it—because you’re setting yourself on a dangerous cycle of write > burn out > recover > repeat that’s really hard to stop once you start. There’s an easier way that will help you achieve what you actually want, I promise.

My view of grant writing is very much based on Quality Over Quantity.

Because not only is a mediocre grant extremely unlikely to get you funded…

If you’re burned out from binge-writing? Your research, your health, and your relationships will suffer.

In contrast, when you have 4 whole months to build a strong foundation, plan and make sure you’ve got the pieces in place…

...when you join a group of other ambitious women faculty who are deliberately, meaningfully building the skills to become an independent researcher…

…when you create a reasonable timeline to submit your R01 and then prepare to learn how to write a strong R01 and get the feedback you need to actually be competitive…

It’s a whole lot easier to believe you’re actually working on The Grant that will get you your first major chunk of funding.

Maybe not the first time (we actually recommend that first-timers focus on getting high-quality feedback from peer review, which is what we teach you)—but I’ll bet it’ll take you far fewer kicks at the can to get your first R01 funded using our tried-and-true approach instead of sprinting towards your upcoming deadline and burning yourself out in the process.

In the end though? You’re the boss. Do what you think is best.

The tuition for this 4-month professional development program is $5000 USD. Just so you know, we’re firm believers that institutions should support their faculty’s professional development. That’s why we have resources available to support you to request tuition support from your institution. Get in touch at hello@sarahdobson.co and we’ll send you everything you need to make the request.