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 https://sarahdobson.co/k2r