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Today's detectors allow scientists to observe cosmic particles with energies surpassing those obtained in particle accelerators, making of the universe a new laboratory for particle physicists.

"I felt that it was time to return, now that Portugal was changing and giving us much better conditions, [and] that we should contribute to the development of the country," says Bruno Silva-Santos.

"We are focusing on people who have established that they are already very good scientists and are about to start or at the beginning of an independent career." --Fotis Kafatos, European Research Council President.

Gonçalo Vieira set up a Portuguese IPY committee made up of 10 Portuguese biologists and geophysicists who together are leading Portugal's new polar research effort.

"The novice writer makes a big mistake in blaming language knowledge for everything," says Mary Ellen Kerans, chair of the Mediterranean Editors and Translators association in Barcelona, Spain.

Julia Kempe couldn't bring herself to choose between physics and maths, nor between two graduate institutions. So she did two Ph.D.s at once in quantum computation.

"The best applications ... have a plan of research ... that is ... realistic [and] at the same time has this visionary quality," says Anders Björklund, chair of the Neurosciences ERC panel.

Spending some time investigating your interests before starting a Ph.D. will improve the likelihood that you pick a project that keeps your interest over several years.

Lenggenhager helped develop an experimental concept aimed at recreating out-of-body experiences in healthy subjects as a way to study distorted self-consciousness.

His cultural identity has not caused any real hardships or put any of his professional goals out of reach, Bounceur feels.

Part of the insecurity for both scientists comes from the fact that molecular gastronomy still has some way to go before it is fully accepted as a scientific field.

Sandrine Etienne-Manneville "knew exactly what she was doing, where the project was going, and what needed to be done," says former postdoc supervisor Alan Hall.

How should you spend your time if your goal is to be a successful, well-rounded, happy person?

"We are trying to define new syndromes and new diseases in human genetics," says M.D.-Ph.D. Heather Mefford.

"This choice was more practical because you try to build up a career, and if you do what people are already doing, you need to be very good, but also lucky, to make it," says Edwin Cuppen.

"This way we cross barriers--something [that is] very difficult-- and the students benefit from a different way of doing science, from a broader perspective," says group leader Moya.

The free Guest Researcher Card allows newcomers to prepare for and complete their move to France under the best possible conditions.

"Try and identify the people that can really teach you and help you very quickly," says Diego Centonze.