Research and Development Careers

What are some research and development careers that are available today? What are the roles and responsibilities that are involved in these careers? Let us know more below.

Common Research and Development Careers

One of the most common careers in research and development or R&D is the research scientist. This is a career that is aimed at those individuals who have the desire to do more research in the field of science and technology. The work of a research scientist will involve lots of planning, data analysis, experiments, and reports. In addition, this career will require you to have extensive knowledge of scientific disciplines.

Research scientists are normally found in labs and they will be working with other scientists. As well as professional mathematicians, engineers, and IT experts. Then, their main tasks are to conduct research and development on new products or processes or methods of manufacturing or designing something that has not been done before.

Further, research scientists may get promoted to the level of a research manager or head scientist. This entails supervising a team of researchers and managing lab budgets. There is no salary information about this occupation but you can expect that it is well-paid.

Then, another one of the careers in R&D is the clinical research associate (CRA). These individuals will be responsible for carrying out tests on human subjects like new drugs or medical devices. They will be assigned to various medical facilities and they are supposed to conduct their tests according to the standards set by an ethics committee. Also, they have to record all the details of the tests so that they can create reports using the collected data.

Additionally, a career in R&D can also be an engineering or IT professional who creates software programs that are used by other professionals in their projects or studies. They may also create CAD (computer-aided design) programs. This, then, makes it easier for engineers and architects to design buildings, houses, bridges, and more.

Other Research and Development Careers

Another career option in R&D is industrial design which involves creating new designs for different products like electronics, furniture, sporting goods, cars, and even clothing lines. These individuals will work with a team where each member has his/her expertise. Such as architecture, product design, and engineering among others. 

Then, they may also work with marketing personnel who will help them decide on which designs will be presented to clients or buyers of these products.

Of course, there are many other options when it comes to careers in R&D depending on your area of expertise and interest. For example, you may also become a food technologist if you have an interest in food processing or product development. Another example is a pharmaceutical researcher if you have an interest in creating new medicines or drug formulations.

Conclusion

As you can see, R&D is a career that is aimed at those individuals who have the desire to do more research in the field of science and technology. The work of a research scientist will involve lots of planning, data analysis, experiments, and reports. In addition, this career will require you to have extensive knowledge of scientific disciplines. So, are you up for the challenge?