This episode wraps up our K to R Essentials Behind the Scenes mini-series with a look inside the final month of the program—Planning. If you’ve been following along, you know that we start with the big-picture vision for your career, then build the leadership and strategy skills you need to make that vision a reality. In this final stage, we take everything you’ve worked on and map it out into an actionable proposal development plan for your next grant submission.

This is where researchers often get stuck—not because they don’t know what to do, but because they don’t know how long things should take, how to structure their time, or how to balance competing priorities. In this episode, we break down how to estimate timelines, avoid procrastination traps, and manage your energy effectively so you can submit a high-quality application without burning yourself out.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why the Planning phase of K to R Essentials is about more than just setting deadlines—it’s about project management for your grant.

• The biggest roadblocks researchers face when mapping out their grant submission timeline—and how to move past them.

• How to stop letting uncertainty ("I don’t know how long this should take") derail your planning process.

• Why generative tasks like writing don’t have a fixed timeline—and how to take control of the time you give them.

• Strategies for balancing grant writing with other priorities, including manuscript submissions.

• How to use intentional time blocking to ensure steady, focused progress—without last-minute chaos.

This episode offers a real, behind-the-scenes look at the practical tools and mindset shifts that make all the difference in successfully planning a grant submission.

Join me as we wrap up this series by digging into what it takes to create a clear, structured, and sustainable path toward your next big grant.