If you're a K award recipient, chances are your career has been geared towards securing NIH funding. In this episode, I make the case that the skills you're building as you transition from mentored researcher to independent investigator — clarifying your research direction, developing self-trust and leadership, thinking strategically, learning to communicate the value of your work — are career-wide skills, not NIH-specific skills. The "R" in K to R is a career milestone, not a specific grant mechanism. I also push back on the unspoken hierarchy that treats non-NIH funding as a consolation prize. Ultimately, your goal is to get your research into the world, and you have more autonomy over how you make that happen than you might think.Interested in joining the next cohort of K to R Essentials? Join the waitlist at https://sarahdobson.co/k2r