In a moment when the funding landscape has been unstable, institutions have been unpredictable, and many of you have been carrying more emotional and intellectual weight than ever, it can feel self-indulgent to pause and look back. But this practice isn’t about creating a tidy narrative of the year. It’s about locating yourself again — your values, your choices, your direction — so you can step into the new year with clarity and intention.Below, you’ll find all of the questions from my long-standing end-of-year reflection practice, along with a new set of prompts that speak directly to the realities of 2025.Take your time with these. Paste these questions into a fresh document and give yourself an hour or two to really reflect. Let the answers come slowly if they need to.REFLECTION QUESTIONS — Looking Back1. What went well this year?  2. What did I do that helped those things go well?  3. What accomplishment or milestone did I not celebrate enough?  4. What didn’t go well this year?  5. What did I learn from what didn’t go well?  6. What else do I need to reflect on so that I can do better going forward?  7. What do I want to remember about this year?  (Think beyond achievements — consider character, values, and how you showed up.)  8. How did I stay true to my values this year?  9. What am I most proud of?REFLECTION QUESTIONS — 2025-SpecificThis year brought its own challenges. These questions are designed to help you integrate what 2025 required of you.10. What did I hold together this year that no one saw?  11. Which values guided me when external rules or expectations kept changing?  12. When things felt unstable, what choices did I make that I’m proud of?  13. What did I learn about my capacity under pressure?  14. What did I stop tolerating this year?  15. What did this year reveal about what I no longer want for my career?  16. Where did I find steadiness, connection, or meaning — even in small moments?  17. What did I learn about the kind of researcher, colleague, or leader I want to be going forward?  18. What expectations or habits did I let go of — and what space did that open up?  19. Despite everything, what persisted in me?INTENTION-SETTING QUESTIONS — Looking Ahead20. What do I want?  (For the next year — or further out.)  21. Who do I need to become to make that possible?  22. What kind of internal or external transformation is required?  23. What lessons or insights from this year do I want to carry forward?  24. What am I most looking forward to in 2026, and why?  25. What am I worried about or dreading, and why?  26. How do I want to show up this coming year — for myself, my loved ones, my colleagues, my community?  27. What makes it easier or harder to show up that way?BONUS: Optional Closing PromptIf next December’s version of me could write me a note, what would she thank me for?Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at <a href='https://sarahdobson.co/k2r'>https://sarahdobson.co/k2r</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In a moment when the funding landscape has been unstable, institutions have been unpredictable, and many of you have been carrying more emotional and intellectual weight than ever, it can feel self-indulgent to pause and look back. But this practice isn’t about creating a tidy narrative of the year. It’s about locating yourself again — your values, your choices, your direction — so you can step into the new year with clarity and intention.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Below, you’ll find all of the questions from my long-standing end-of-year reflection practice, along with a new set of prompts that speak directly to the realities of 2025.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Take your time with these. Paste these questions into a fresh document and give yourself an hour or two to really reflect. Let the answers come slowly if they need to.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;REFLECTION QUESTIONS — Looking Back&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1. What went well this year?&lt;br/&gt; 2. What did I do that helped those things go well?&lt;br/&gt; 3. What accomplishment or milestone did I not celebrate enough?&lt;br/&gt; 4. What didn’t go well this year?&lt;br/&gt; 5. What did I learn from what didn’t go well?&lt;br/&gt; 6. What else do I need to reflect on so that I can do better going forward?&lt;br/&gt; 7. What do I want to remember about this year?&lt;br/&gt; (Think beyond achievements — consider character, values, and how you showed up.)&lt;br/&gt; 8. How did I stay true to my values this year?&lt;br/&gt; 9. What am I most proud of?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;REFLECTION QUESTIONS — 2025-Specific&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This year brought its own challenges. These questions are designed to help you integrate what 2025 required of you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;10. What did I hold together this year that no one saw?&lt;br/&gt; 11. Which values guided me when external rules or expectations kept changing?&lt;br/&gt; 12. When things felt unstable, what choices did I make that I’m proud of?&lt;br/&gt; 13. What did I learn about my capacity under pressure?&lt;br/&gt; 14. What did I stop tolerating this year?&lt;br/&gt; 15. What did this year reveal about what I no longer want for my career?&lt;br/&gt; 16. Where did I find steadiness, connection, or meaning — even in small moments?&lt;br/&gt; 17. What did I learn about the kind of researcher, colleague, or leader I want to be going forward?&lt;br/&gt; 18. What expectations or habits did I let go of — and what space did that open up?&lt;br/&gt; 19. Despite everything, what persisted in me?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;INTENTION-SETTING QUESTIONS — Looking Ahead&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;20. What do I want?&lt;br/&gt; (For the next year — or further out.)&lt;br/&gt; 21. Who do I need to become to make that possible?&lt;br/&gt; 22. What kind of internal or external transformation is required?&lt;br/&gt; 23. What lessons or insights from this year do I want to carry forward?&lt;br/&gt; 24. What am I most looking forward to in 2026, and why?&lt;br/&gt; 25. What am I worried about or dreading, and why?&lt;br/&gt; 26. How do I want to show up this coming year — for myself, my loved ones, my colleagues, my community?&lt;br/&gt; 27. What makes it easier or harder to show up that way?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;BONUS: Optional Closing Prompt&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If next December’s version of me could write me a note, what would she thank me for?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at &lt;a href='https://sarahdobson.co/k2r'&gt;https://sarahdobson.co/k2r&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In a moment when the funding landscape has been unstable, institutions have been unpredictable, and many of you have been carrying more emotional and intellectual weight than ever, it can feel self-indulgent to pause and look back. But this practice isn’t about creating a tidy narrative of the year. It’s about locating yourself again — your values, your choices, your direction — so you can step into the new year with clarity and intention. Below, you’ll find all of the questions from my long-...

Finding Your Footing: Reflection Questions To Close A Hard Year And Step Into The Next

What do you do when a grant that anchors your research disappears overnight? We sit down with Sunny Lin, PhD to explore the real work of rebuilding after a canceled K Award. Our conversation moves through the full arc of the K-to-R journey. We talk candidly about the moment a career plan implodes, why grief is not a distraction but a tool for clarity, and how momentum returns when you name what you lost. Sunny shares the practical pivots that kept the research alive, while staying firmly grounded in mission and values. For first-generation academics and introverts, community can feel risky; Sunny’s experience highlights how the right cohort turns risk into relief, accountability, and renewed courage. We also challenge the habits that hold researchers back at the R stage: perfectionism, performance over curiosity, and chasing “fundable” topics at the cost of purpose. Instead, we map a different route to impact in health equity research: define your own metrics of success, ask braver questions, and build with peers who understand the terrain. If you’re navigating soft-money uncertainty, designing research in understudied populations, or simply trying to protect the why behind your work, this story will help you find your footing and move forward with intention.Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at <a href='https://sarahdobson.co/k2r'>https://sarahdobson.co/k2r</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;What do you do when a grant that anchors your research disappears overnight? We sit down with Sunny Lin, PhD to explore the real work of rebuilding after a canceled K Award. Our conversation moves through the full arc of the K-to-R journey. We talk candidly about the moment a career plan implodes, why grief is not a distraction but a tool for clarity, and how momentum returns when you name what you lost. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sunny shares the practical pivots that kept the research alive, while staying firmly grounded in mission and values. For first-generation academics and introverts, community can feel risky; Sunny’s experience highlights how the right cohort turns risk into relief, accountability, and renewed courage.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;We also challenge the habits that hold researchers back at the R stage: perfectionism, performance over curiosity, and chasing “fundable” topics at the cost of purpose. Instead, we map a different route to impact in health equity research: define your own metrics of success, ask braver questions, and build with peers who understand the terrain. If you’re navigating soft-money uncertainty, designing research in understudied populations, or simply trying to protect the why behind your work, this story will help you find your footing and move forward with intention.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at &lt;a href='https://sarahdobson.co/k2r'&gt;https://sarahdobson.co/k2r&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

What do you do when a grant that anchors your research disappears overnight? We sit down with Sunny Lin, PhD to explore the real work of rebuilding after a canceled K Award. Our conversation moves through the full arc of the K-to-R journey. We talk candidly about the moment a career plan implodes, why grief is not a distraction but a tool for clarity, and how momentum returns when you name what you lost.  Sunny shares the practical pivots that kept the research alive, while staying firml...

Featured K to R Essentials Graduate: Sunny Lin, PhD

We wrap our Uncharted Academia series by making a clear case for sustainable ambition—ambition that draws strength from purpose, alignment, and hope, not from fear or constant approval-seeking. Across a turbulent funding climate and shifting institutional norms, Sarah explores how early career researchers can protect their energy, keep their work focused, and build labs that thrive for the long game.  We explore how to protect the kind of ambition that expands your capacity instead of draining it. This moment of disruption is also a moment of possibility. It’s a chance to rebuild academic culture around integrity, generosity, and care — and to lead in ways that make the system better for those who come next.Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at <a href='https://sarahdobson.co/k2r'>https://sarahdobson.co/k2r</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;We wrap our Uncharted Academia series by making a clear case for sustainable ambition—ambition that draws strength from purpose, alignment, and hope, not from fear or constant approval-seeking. Across a turbulent funding climate and shifting institutional norms, Sarah explores how early career researchers can protect their energy, keep their work focused, and build labs that thrive for the long game.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; We explore how to protect the kind of ambition that expands your capacity instead of draining it. This moment of disruption is also a moment of possibility. It’s a chance to rebuild academic culture around integrity, generosity, and care — and to lead in ways that make the system better for those who come next.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at &lt;a href='https://sarahdobson.co/k2r'&gt;https://sarahdobson.co/k2r&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

We wrap our Uncharted Academia series by making a clear case for sustainable ambition—ambition that draws strength from purpose, alignment, and hope, not from fear or constant approval-seeking. Across a turbulent funding climate and shifting institutional norms, Sarah explores how early career researchers can protect their energy, keep their work focused, and build labs that thrive for the long game.   We explore how to protect the kind of ambition that expands your capacity instead of d...

Uncharted Academia Part 6: Sustainable Ambition

In Part 5 of this series, Sarah explores how external metrics create an illusion of certainty—and how to replace it with something sturdier: your own clear metrics, aligned with work that genuinely matters.  In this episode, we talk about redefining success on your own terms. Because when the ground is shifting beneath academia, the only real security comes from what you carry with you: your skills, your clarity, your integrity.  We’ll explore how to identify the markers that actually matter—the work that feels meaningful, the outcomes that endure, and the values that guide you—so you can build a career that’s sustainable, self-defined, and aligned with what matters most.Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at <a href='https://sarahdobson.co/k2r'>https://sarahdobson.co/k2r</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In Part 5 of this series, Sarah explores how external metrics create an illusion of certainty—and how to replace it with something sturdier: your own clear metrics, aligned with work that genuinely matters. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;In this episode, we talk about redefining success on your own terms. Because when the ground is shifting beneath academia, the only real security comes from what you carry with you: your skills, your clarity, your integrity.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; We’ll explore how to identify the markers that actually matter—the work that feels meaningful, the outcomes that endure, and the values that guide you—so you can build a career that’s sustainable, self-defined, and aligned with what matters most.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at &lt;a href='https://sarahdobson.co/k2r'&gt;https://sarahdobson.co/k2r&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In Part 5 of this series, Sarah explores how external metrics create an illusion of certainty—and how to replace it with something sturdier: your own clear metrics, aligned with work that genuinely matters.   In this episode, we talk about redefining success on your own terms. Because when the ground is shifting beneath academia, the only real security comes from what you carry with you: your skills, your clarity, your integrity.   We’ll explore how to identify the markers that actu...

Uncharted Academia Part 5: Redefining Success

In Part 4 of this series Sarah explores an essential way to navigate uncertainty—one built on intentional collaborations, reciprocal networks, and leadership that starts with self-stewardship. We explore how to choose fruitful collaborations. And beyond the science itself, we dig into building a career network that protects your future. Reciprocity is the rule—give introductions, feedback, and amplification as readily as you ask for them—while staying discerning about trust and access. We connect these practices to a practical model of leadership: knowing your capacity, keeping your word, and communicating your vision clearly so others can opt in with confidence. The outcome is more than personal resilience; it’s a blueprint for flexible, humane, and resilient micro-networks that can prototype what comes next in academia. If you’re ready to trade frantic yeses for focused progress and to lead in a way that sustains both your science and your sanity, this conversation is your field guide. Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at <a href='https://sarahdobson.co/k2r'>https://sarahdobson.co/k2r</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In Part 4 of this series Sarah explores an essential way to navigate uncertainty—one built on intentional collaborations, reciprocal networks, and leadership that starts with self-stewardship.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;We explore how to choose fruitful collaborations. And beyond the science itself, we dig into building a career network that protects your future. Reciprocity is the rule—give introductions, feedback, and amplification as readily as you ask for them—while staying discerning about trust and access. We connect these practices to a practical model of leadership: knowing your capacity, keeping your word, and communicating your vision clearly so others can opt in with confidence.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The outcome is more than personal resilience; it’s a blueprint for flexible, humane, and resilient micro-networks that can prototype what comes next in academia. If you’re ready to trade frantic yeses for focused progress and to lead in a way that sustains both your science and your sanity, this conversation is your field guide. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at &lt;a href='https://sarahdobson.co/k2r'&gt;https://sarahdobson.co/k2r&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In Part 4 of this series Sarah explores an essential way to navigate uncertainty—one built on intentional collaborations, reciprocal networks, and leadership that starts with self-stewardship.  We explore how to choose fruitful collaborations. And beyond the science itself, we dig into building a career network that protects your future. Reciprocity is the rule—give introductions, feedback, and amplification as readily as you ask for them—while staying discerning about trust and access. We co...

Uncharted Academia Part 4: Building Research And Career Networks That Last

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 up to R01 funding and build impactful, thriving, and fulfilling research careers. Visit https://sarahdobson.co to learn more.

Significant Impact: from K Award to Your First Big R01

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