K Awards Training: A Path to Success

Registration is open! Join us for the next K Awards Training on July 10, 2025.

K Awards: A Path to Success is a combined web-based course (5hrs) and livestream workshop (6hrs) that will familiarize participants with the fundamentals of successful K award applications.

Jump to:  Overview |  Audience and Requirements |  Resources  |  Instructors  |  Scholarships  |  Location  |  Testimonials  |  Registration Fees |  Additional Information

Training Overview

Summer 2025 dates: 5-hour web-based, asynchronous training in late June + a 6-hour livestream, online training July 10, 2025; ~10:00am - ~4:00pm EDT.

The major goals of K Awards: A Path to Success is to orient attendees to grant-writing and grant-strategizing for successful K applications, including how to position their research and themselves to engage reviewers. Participants will work with CareerVolt workshop leaders with a proven track record of helping applicants improve and position compelling K applications. Attendees will learn about different K award mechanisms, how K’s are unique from R’s, and strategies to maximize each K award component. They will gain an understanding of the goal of the K award program, which is critical for maximizing funding success.

This workshop will take place in two parts: a required online, asynchronous web-based course (~5 hours total) followed by the livestream, 6-hour online training on July 10, 2025. Participants will be given access to the web-based course about three weeks before the live training. 

By the end of the workshop, participants will be familiar with the following topics:

• K Program Goals and Expectations
• Types of K Awards: Which Is Right for You?
• Timing: When to Submit Your K Application
• K Award Application Preparation and Considerations
• K Award Application Evaluation: How K Awards are Evaluated and Scored
• Principles of Great K Applications
• Selling Yourself as a K Applicant
• Selling Your Science
• Synthesizing the Full K Story

One round of written feedback for a Specific Aims page will be made available to all attendees for up to 2 months after the workshop, at no additional cost. 

Audience and Requirements

This workshop targets researchers who have submitted or will be submitting a K award application or are thinking about submitting a K award application within six months to one year from the workshop date. There are a few requirements to attend this training:

1. Participants must complete the web-based course (consisting of online videos and activities) prior to the livestream training session. Participants will be given access to this module about three weeks before the live training, and will take about 4-5 hours to complete. 
2. While this workshop targets trainees, it is not suitable for pre-doctoral students. All participants must have completed a PhD, MD, and/or DVM.
3. Participants will be asked to send a draft Specific Aims page to instructors to receive initial feedback ahead of the workshop, and have their draft aims (whether their real or ‘disguised’ research) seen* by others in attendance.

*Hands-on activities will use participant aims pages, and we therefore request that all participants respect the confidentiality of other attendees. Any participant who prefers not to share their research ideas may create a mock aims page to use during the training.

Resources

• NIH Research Career Development Awards (K) Kiosk

Instructors

Jessica K. Lerch, PhD, Co-Founder, CareerVolt; Founder, Significance, Innovation, Impact. Dr. Lerch earned her PhD in Neuroscience at Case Western. She then completed postdoctoral training at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami and went to a Research Assistant and then a tenure-track Assistant Professor appointment in the Department of Neuroscience at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. In late 2017, Jessica moved to a science consulting role with Eva Garland Consulting, helping small biotechnology companies and researchers across the world strategize their science to achieve grant funding for their R&D and early-phase clinical trial projects. Jessica started her first company, Significance, Innovation, Impact, in 2018 as a grant-writing consultant. In 2019, Jessica joined with long-time friend and colleague Dr. Sheila Cherry to launch CareerVolt, born of their shared desire to help scientists succeed in their career paths by filling skills gaps and supporting attainment of professional goals. Since moving into consulting in 2018, Jessica has helped individuals and small and large biotech raise over $65 million in grant funding.

Sheila M. Cherry, PhD, Co-Founder, CareerVolt. Sheila earned her PhD in Genetics at Case Western. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in 2009 she founded Fresh Eyes Editing to provide editing and writing support for scientists around the globe. During its 13 years in operation, Fresh Eyes helped investigators worldwide to secure hundreds of millions in research funding--tallying more than $275 million just in US federal funding. Recognizing some common skills gaps, particularly with respect to writing grant proposals and applying for funding, Sheila began offering workshops, online training, and individual career development programs in 2016. Sheila is a Certified Editor in the Life Sciences as well as a Certified Executive Coach. She is passionate about helping researchers achieve their career goals.

Sarah Bronson, PhD, Research Leadership and Success Consultant, CareerVolt. Dr. Bronson received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri, and was a postdoctoral trainee with Oliver Smithies, DPhil at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Sarah spent her entire faculty career at the Penn State College of Medicine where she was a researcher, educator, and administrator. She is now an emeritus associate professor and associate dean. She was the co-director (2010-2020) of the nationally recognized Junior Faculty Development Program where she developed a holistic program that teased out the steps to scholarly project development as well as the path toward a sustainable and rewarding career. She was also a co-director for the Grants Academy, with a more specific focus on grant proposal development. As Director of Research Development (2014-2023) she implemented the internal awards program and the limited submission process.

Craig Layman, PhD, Research Leadership and Success Consultant, CareerVolt. Dr. Layman received his PhD at Texas A&M University in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Philosophy. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and was the Donnelley Fellow at Yale University. He is a Senior Fellow in the Andrew Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability and a Research Professor in the Biology Department at Wake Forest University. He was a Full Professor at North Carolina State University, a Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Fellow in the Applied Ecology Department, and a founding member of the Global Environmental Change and Human Well-being Cluster. Craig is passionate about academic writing, reflected by his more than 160 scientific publications and over 17,000 citations, his successful grantsmanship, and his mentorship of hundreds of academic colleagues over his career.

Scholarships

Training scholarships are available for the K Awards Training.

Location

Summer 2025: The K Awards Training combines a 5-hour web-based, asynchronous training with a 6-hour livestream, online training (11hrs total). Prior to the livestream training on July 10, 2025, participants are required to complete a self-paced, web-based course. Once the asynchronous portion is complete, participants will attend a livestream, remote training on July 10, 2025 from ~10:00am - ~4:00pm EDT.

Testimonials

"The K Awards training provides invaluable guidance on navigating the grant application process, offering clear strategies and expert insights to enhance the success of early-career researchers." - Scholar at University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, 2024

"This is a great course for both new applications and resubmissions. Very informative." - Postdoc at Columbia University, 2024

"This training was incredibly helpful! The instructors were so knowledgeable about NIH applications in general but specifically K awards. I found their advice concise, consistent and really helpful. Thank you!" - Faculty Member at University of Virginia, 2024

Registration Fees

*Columbia Discount: This discount is valid for any active student, postdoc, staff, or faculty at Columbia University. If paying by credit card, use your Columbia email address during the registration process to automatically have the discount applied. If paying by internal transfer within Columbia, submit this Columbia Internal Transfer Request form to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.  

*Mailman Alumni Discount: This discount is valid for any individual who graduated from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. To access the Mailman Alumni discount and receive a registration code, please email sharp_program@cumc.columbia.edu your graduation year and degree. 

Invoice Payment: If you would prefer to pay by invoice/check, please submit this Invoice Request form to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.

Registration Fee: This fee includes course material, which will be made available to all participants both during and after the conclusion of the training. One round of written feedback for a Specific Aims page is available to each attendee for up to 2 months after the workshop, at no additional cost. 

Cancellations: Cancellation notices must be received via email at least 30 days prior to the training start date in order to receive a full refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Cancellation notices received via email 14-29 days prior to the training will receive a 75% refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Please email your cancellation notice to Columbia.KAwards@gmail.com. Due to workshop capacity and preparation, we regret that we are unable to refund registration fees for cancellations <14days prior to the training.

If you are unable to attend the training, we encourage you to send a substitute within the same registration category. Please inform us of the substitute via email at least one week prior to the training to include them on attendee communications, updated registration forms, and materials. Should the substitute fall within a different registration category your credit card will be credited/charged respectively. Please email substitute inquiries to Columbia.KAwards@gmail.com. In the rare event Columbia must cancel the event, your registration fee will be fully refunded.

Additional Information

• Register for the K Awards Training. 
• Subscribe for updates on new training details and registration deadlines.
• Contact the K Awards Training team.

The K Awards Training is hosted by Columbia University's SHARP Program at the Mailman School of Public Health.

Jump to:  Overview |  Audience and Requirements |  Resources  |  Instructors  |  Scholarships  |  Location  |  Testimonials  |  Registration Fees |  Additional Information