What People Are Saying

From scientists who've been where you are

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"The first 4 modules have been immediately helpful to me in both doing a first draft of my K99 specific aims and editing a pilot grant specific aims."
T32 Postdoctoral Fellow, Cancer Center

Maryland

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"I have never seen a grant curriculum that considers the real context that we experience as early-stage investigators before diving into the content."
Assistant Professor, Cancer Prevention & Control

New Jersey

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"It is so applicable, especially for early stage investigators. What I am finding so valuable is the tactical strategies that are applicable...it is a gem."
Associate Professor of Medicine

California

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"Your communication style on video really makes me feel like you are providing one-on-one coaching."
Early Career Investigator, School of Nursing

Illinois

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"A whispered permission to start with my why."
Full Professor of Public Health

Michigan

About the Course

You've done the science. You have the ideas. But somewhere between your vision and the grant application, something gets lost in translation. This course is for early career scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty who are preparing for their first major grant—or who've submitted before without success and are ready for a different approach. 12 video modules across 8 chapters, each with a companion workbook What you'll find here isn't another formulaic template. This is a soul-centered approach to grantsmanship that helps you identify your unique scientific voice, craft narratives that resonate with reviewers, and build applications that authentically reflect your vision while meeting rigorous standards. You'll learn to see grantsmanship not as a hurdle to clear, but as an extension of your scientific identity and purpose. You don't need to become someone else to get funded. You need to return to the scientist you already are—and learn to put that on the page.

Listen to the Framework in 6 minutes

Most grantsmanship training starts with templates. Lost in Translation starts with a different question: Where does your meaning get lost between your mind and the reviewer's?This 6-minute overview introduces the Five Translation Gaps — the framework behind the entire curriculum. You'll hear why grants with strong science still get triaged, what reviewers actually experience when they read your application, and how this course helps you close the distance between what you write and what they understand.If you've ever felt like your grant doesn't sound like you — or like reviewers aren't seeing what you see — this is where to start. 12 video modules. 12 companion workbooks. Aligned with the NIH 2025 Simplified Review Framework.

Find Your Scientific Voice

Stop writing like a committee. Learn to articulate what makes your science yours—and why it matters.

Master the Narrative Arc

Structure your aims, significance, and innovation into a story reviewers actually want to fund.

Think Like a Reviewer

Understand what makes reviewers say yes—and build applications that answer their questions before they ask.

Meet Your Instructor

I'm Dr. Lisa Carter-Bawa—a behavioral scientist, nurse practitioner, and researcher who has spent my career at the intersection of science, communication, and implementation. I've written grants that got funded. I've written grants that didn't. I've sat on review panels and watched brilliant science fail to land—not because the ideas weren't strong, but because something got lost in translation between the researcher's vision and the page. That gap is what this course addresses. After years of mentoring early career scientists, I developed this curriculum to teach what I wish someone had taught me: that grantsmanship isn't about performing for reviewers or following a formula. It's about returning to your authentic scientific voice and learning to communicate it with clarity and conviction. You don't need reinvention. You need a return. I'm honored to be part of your journey.

Curriculum

8 Chapters · 54 Lessons

  1. 1

    Chapter 1: Welcome & Orientation

    1. Welcome Video Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Before You Begin

    3. Course Roadmap Free preview
    4. Complete Course Guide & Syllabus Free preview
    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome Message: A Note on Timing

  2. 2

    Chapter 2: The Return — Finding Your Voice

    1. Module 1: Writing to Win: The Return Free preview
    2. Module 1 Companion Workbook Free preview
    3. Quick Reflection - Module 1 Free preview
    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 2: Words That Close the Gap

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 2 Companion Workbook

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 2

  3. 3

    Chapter 3: The Aims Page — Your Front Door

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 3: Architecture of the Aims Page

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 3 Companion Workbook

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      MODULE 3: Annotated Example — "What Good Looks Like"

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 3

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 4: Opening the Door

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 4 Companion Workbook

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      MODULE 4: OPENING THE DOOR - Annotated Example — "What Good Looks Like"

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 4

  4. 4

    Chapter 4: Understanding the Review Landscape

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 5: The New Review Landscape (NIH 2025)

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Addendum: The Hidden Translation Challenge in Factor 3

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 5 Companion Workbook

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 5

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 6: The Stigma of Being New

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 6 Companion Workbook

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 6

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Mid-Course Check-In Survey

  5. 5

    Chapter 5: Building Scientific Credibility

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 7: Evidence of Care

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 7 Companion Workbook

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      MODULE 7: EVIDENCE OF CARE - Annotated Example — "What Good Looks Like"

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 7

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 8: Building the Research Strategy

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 8 Companion Workbook

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      MODULE 8: BUILDING THE RESEARCH STRATEGY - Annotated Example — "What Good Looks Like"

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 8

  6. 6

    Chapter 6: Positioning for Success

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 9: The Advocate's Voice

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 9 Companion Workbook

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      MODULE 9: THE ADVOCATE'S VOICE - Annotated Example — "What Good Looks Like"

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 9

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 10: The Community Engagement Advantage

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 10 Companion Workbook

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 10

  7. 7

    Chapter 7: Strategy & Resilience

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 11: Choosing Your Mechanism

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 11 Companion Workbook

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 11

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 12: When It Doesn't Work

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 12 Companion Workbook

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Quick Reflection - Module 12

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      End-of-Course Survey

  8. 8

    Chapter 8: Closing & Next Steps

    1. Before You Go: A Final Word Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      What Now Guide

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Your Experience Matters

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Want to Stay Connected?

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Ready for Guided Support on Your Next Submission?

Not Sure Yet? Try the Framework for Free.

I built a free tool that lets you paste your Specific Aims page and see exactly where the translation gaps are. No sign-up. No cost. Just insight. Visit this link to try it now:       www.lisacarterbawa.com/audit

Founding Member Price: $297 

(Regular price $497) — Limited availability

Your science deserves to be understood.

Join the Lost in Translation tribe and learn to put your vision on the page with clarity and confidence.

Enroll Now Get a Free Preview