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"Those who succeed are well-grounded people who have seen success and believe they can do it too. They are not the type of people who worry too much or are easily intimidated," says Virginia Tech professor Michael Hochella.

"The priority for most researchers is an independent career in research. For me, the next step is either another postdoc or getting my own funding. But if the funding doesn't come through, I'll probably quit." --John Bothwell

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To attract the best candidates, it will be in the interest of the university to formulate guidelines and policies that reflect the value of the postdocs to the university's mission.

"There are no age limits; it is the extent of the researcher's experience that counts."

"It was time for me to go and find new challenges and learn new techniques before I became part of the old furniture of the department."

"The Indian education system is producing record numbers of graduates with advanced science degrees, but the current research environment in India cannot effectively tap their potential."

"The ivory tower is getting worn and dingy [and] the provost sold the ivory ... to build the new administration wing." --Phil Clifford

A key indicator of your ‘lab cred’ is whether people you’ve never met know who you are when you first meet them.

A look at successful organizations suggests that encouraging postdoc involvement is critical. Orkin put it bluntly: "There is only so much that can be brought about by trickle down from the top."

"People refer to those things as their mistakes, but I think it's more accurate to say that they help to reduce choices and align the [company's] direction with the right path." --Jon Kayyem