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When it comes to accepting electronic applications, the agency is in no hurry to leave the FastLane.

"It's on-the-ground, in-depth research with a very qualitative component." --Olivia Salcido

"Generally, I find that people are attracted to enthusiasm if it's unfettered and for the right reasons," says Hendrik Poinar, director of McMaster University's Ancient DNA Laboratory.

People sometimes overestimate the extent to which the conventional assumptions apply. Often, for example, managers assume they are more qualified than they really are to judge their employees' performance.

I won't be confined by other people's notions of who I am and what I should do. I'm starting to feel free.

"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.

"By going to different labs," says Edvard Moser, "You learn different ways of thinking and you can create bridges between sub-disciplines and find something unexpected."

Though it is often--and justifiably--maligned, it is ignorance--and recognizing where it exists--that drives scientists to do groundbreaking science.

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

Given the opportunity, Jana Kadukova says she would definitely be keen to work abroad again. "In my opinion, everyone should try this once in their life," she says

“I’d like to be here [longer]. But now my wife and my baby are in Japan, so I have to go back.”

"Even if being back at a postdoc position was quite difficult," says Valentina Emiliani, "this was a necessary step."

Although "the researcher is free to do whatever he wants," says Marché, "I will be working in a team, so I will necessarily get interested in their field of research."

"His lab mantra was, 'It's better to ask forgiveness than permission,' 'If I don't know about it, it doesn't happen,' [and] 'Get it done at all costs, and don't tell me how.' " --Maura Lee Upright

Early-Stage Training fellowships offer Ph.D. researchers the opportunity to pursue specialised training for a period of 3 months to 3 years as part of their doctoral training.

The interview process, she points out, goes both ways: They are interviewing you and you are interviewing them.