The four major NIH-supported career development K awards are the K01, K08, K23, and K99, which comprise 70% of the investment allocated to the 15 K-type career awards. One measure of early career success is the conversion of the K award to an NIH R01 grant. Analysis of the outcomes of K-to-R01 conversion within 5 years of receipt of the K award across the NIH during the period 2008–2012 showed that K99 awards have a uniform (up to 60%) increased conversion success compared with the K01, K08, and K23 mechanisms. The K99 success continued to 7 years for the available analysis period (2008–2010). The largest number of K award recipients and their conversion to R01 were at institutions located in California, Massachusetts, and New York. Several measures that may enhance conversion of the K01/K08/K23 and diversify the distribution of the awardees are highlighted.