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Science 's Next Wave published "Getting an NIH R01," which became the most frequently accessed Next Wave article for...

We are finding that we are beginning to constrain some of our understandings and exclude some possibilities.

"I think it becomes more difficult [to cheat] when the student knows what the professor knows and the professor knows what the student knows." --Adil Shamoo

"I thought, if these people are saying they can go to these places, maybe I can too." -- Lawrence Williams

"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.

Jones believes that senior scientists have "lost a sense of accountability to the next generation insofar as all of our interests in them are self interests ... so that
our career can get advanced but not necessarily
their career."

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

"For miles and miles, everything looks, feels, and smells pure and uncontaminated," says Sasha Tozzi, a Ph.D. student working in Antarctica's Ross Sea.

"I feel confident that my ideas are good enough to go up against the rest of the world, but the question is, can I generate enough preliminary data fast enough?
- Emmanuel Chang"

"I produce 10 data points that completely undermine what everybody thinks they know about the archaeological record here. It was really important and really interesting, and almost nobody believed me." -Joan Brenner Coltrain

You increase the chances of your paper being accepted if you make the assumption that the reviewers are offering their suggestions as constructive criticism.

Writing well comes from writing a lot, so get comfy with your computer.

“Reduced economic opportunities in some fields relative to others … may be an important factor driving native students to enter particular occupations and avoid others.” --George Borjas

"This idea of research was foreign to me. I'm sure that had it not been for that opportunity, I would not be a scientist today." --Wilfredo Colón

The challenges are both logistical and emotional, and if training and productivity are compromised, scientific careers can be derailed.

“It’s not really for fast trackers,” says Ann Russell, a terrestrial-ecosystem biologist at Iowa State University in Ames. “But if you really want to do it, the important thing is that you have to play by the rules.”

Working with a professor and lab mates from back home make for an easier, more congenial experience than plunging into a strictly American cultural environment.

"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.