K to R Essentials Behind the Scenes: How to Strategically Map Your Next Steps

In this episode of K to R Essentials Behind the Scenes, we’re diving into strategy—the third month of the program and where we shift from big-picture vision work into pragmatic, strategic decision-making.

One of the most important exercises we do in this phase is connecting your North Star to the next research idea you’ll pursue and the grant application that will fund it. But for many researchers, this is where they get stuck—not because they lack ideas, but because they have too many and feel paralyzed by the fear of choosing “wrong.”

Inside K to R Essentials, we help students reframe their thinking around research strategy, focusing on deliberate decision-making, aligning their next steps with their long-term vision, and understanding that every choice is part of a broader trajectory.

In this episode:

• Why there’s no single “right” choice for your next grant—and how to move forward confidently.

• How to let your research lead your grant strategy, not the funding mechanism.

• The common fear of “choosing wrong” and why any strategic decision moves you forward.

• How institutional expectations for grant productivity can mislead researchers into prioritizing quantity over quality.

• Why a scientist’s mindset—making a decision, taking action, and gathering evidence—is the best approach to career strategy.

Join me in this episode as I unpack how strategic decision-making in research can reduce uncertainty, accelerate your funding trajectory, and keep you aligned with your long-term career vision.