OCCUPATIONAL

PROFILE

Research scientist (medical)

Job Description
Medical research scientists plan and conduct experiments to increase the body of scientific knowledge on topics related
to medicine. They may also aim to develop new, or improve existing, drugs or other medically-related products.

Research may be basic, e.g. investigating the underlying basis of health and disease, or it may be more applied, e.g.
conducting clinical research, investigating methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human disorders. Research
may be carried out at a molecular level, using appropriate cell and animal models, or using human volunteers to study
the clinical effects of various factors.

Typical Work Activities

Medical research takes place in higher education institutions, research institutes, hospitals and industry. The specifics of
the role vary according to the setting, but much of the work is laboratory-based. Tasks typically include:

• planning and conducting experiments and analysing or interpreting the results;

• keeping accurate records of work undertaken;
• using specialist computer software to analyse data and to produce diagrammatic representation of results;
• teaching and supervising students (in higher education);
• writing and submitting applications and progress reports to funding bodies that support medical research (outside
industry);
• discussing research progress with other departments, e.g. production and marketing (in industry);
• constantly considering the profit/loss potential of research products (in industry);
• setting up collaborations between industry, research institutes, hospitals and academia.

Medical research scientists are also concerned with disseminating the results of their work to others. This includes:

• sharing the results of research with colleagues through presentations or discussions at team meetings;
• preparing posters and presentations, and delivering these at national and international scientific conferences;
• writing original papers for publication in peer-reviewed medical or scientific journals. (In industry, there is usually
less pressure to publish. There is also often a lag period for any publications due to intellectual property issues.)

Scientists also need to be aware of other research being carried out in, or related to, their field of study. Activities that
enable them to stay in touch successfully with developments and advances in their field include:

• carrying out searches for information using the internet and information databases;
• reading relevant scientific literature;
• attending scientific meetings and conferences in order to hear presentations from other researchers and participate
in informal discussions with scientists from other parts of the world.

Work Conditions
• Range of typical starting salaries: £19,000 - £25,000 for a pre-doctoral scientist; £24,000 - £32,000 for a
postdoctoral scientist (salary data collected Nov 07).
• Range of typical salaries with experience (e.g. after 10-15 years in role): £24,000 - £37,000 for a lecturer/group
leader; £38,500 - £50,000 for a senior lecturer/senior group leader. The higher end of the scale tends to apply to
posts in industry or in prestigious institutions (salary data collected Nov 07).
• Working hours are normally nine to five. However, in reality, longer hours are often worked, although there is
usually some flexibility in start and finish times, especially in academic settings. Due to the nature of experimental
work, some evening and weekend work may be required. Long hours are often necessary when, for example,
grant application deadlines are looming or a particularly important experiment is underway. It is unusual for
overtime to be paid in academic posts, but more the norm in industry.
• Work is mainly laboratory-based with some time spent in the office planning and writing up experiments.
• With career progression, the work becomes more office-based with a focus on writing grant applications,
collaborating with other scientists, supervising staff, planning experiments, writing papers for publication and
reviewing papers.
• Scientists may work with potentially toxic or radioactive materials, so care and attention to detail is required.
• Working with animals or animal-derived products, such as embryonic stem cells, may form part of the research,
which may result in ethical dilemmas for some. See the arguments on the Coalition for Medical Progress
(www.medicalprogress.org) and National Anit-Vivisection Society (NAVS) (www.navs.org.uk) websites.
• Travel within the working day is rare but may occasionally be required as scientists often collaborate with other
institutions. Some national and international travel is needed for attendance at conferences to present the results
of research, often with a stay of a few days. Travel usually becomes more frequent with career progression.

This Occupational Profile forms part of Prospects Planner www.prospects.ac.uk/links/occupations Page 1 of 4

Research scientist (medical)

Entry Requirements
A good honours degree in a medical or life science subject is usual for entry. The following subjects may increase your
chances:

• biomedical sciences;
• biochemistry;
• molecular biology;
• pharmacology;
• genetics;
• medical microbiology;
• immunology;
• physiology.

Although graduates entering this area of work traditionally have a degree in a medical or life science discipline, many
areas of medical research now actively encourage interdisciplinary work. Thus, many research projects also need
graduates in chemistry, physics or statistics/bioinformatics.

Entry with an HND/foundation degree only is not possible. Opportunities for HND/foundation degree holders may exist at
technician level - see Scientific laboratory technician - but further progression to medical research scientist will require a
first degree.

Although an MSc or PhD is commonly required for entry to this field, opportunities at entry level without a postgraduate
qualification do exist, particularly in industry. However, progress up the career ladder to group/section leader nearly
always requires a PhD.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) (www.mrc.ac.uk) is the main funder of PhDs in medical science in the UK. The
MRC also funds collaborative studentships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Working as a research assistant
often includes the opportunity to study for a PhD. This attracts a higher salary than the standard studentship stipend, but
may include additional responsibilities.

Laboratory experience and knowledge of the range of techniques used will improve your chances of finding a research
appointment. This can be achieved through either a sandwich-year placement in industry or vacation work experience in
academia or industry. Summer placements in academia can be funded through the Nuffield Foundation
(www.nuffieldfoundation.org/) and the Wellcome Trust (www.wellcome.ac.uk). The Academy of Medical Sciences
(www.academicmedicine.ac.uk) website has details of bursaries available to enable you to complete a summer research
project within a university, as well as suggestions for various career paths.

Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:

• technical, scientific and numerical skills;

• good written and oral communication skills;
• a genuine enjoyment of your research subject;
• a methodical and imaginative approach to work;
• tenacity and patience;
• the ability to work well in teams and to network and forge links with collaborators.

It is illegal for employers to discriminate against candidates on the grounds of age, gender, race, disability, sexual
orientation or religious faith. For more information on equality and diversity in the job market see Handling Discrimination
(www.prospects.ac.uk/links/discrimination).

Training
Most employers will assume that you already have sufficient research skills, either from your degree or a PhD, to make
an immediate contribution to the work of the team.

In academia, there is often very little formal training following completion of a research degree. Continuous on-the-job
technical training, either self-taught or from more experienced scientists, allows researchers to learn new laboratory
techniques. It is also quite common for scientists to visit other laboratories to be taught techniques that are already
established elsewhere. The UK GRAD Programme (www.grad.ac.uk) runs courses to support the personal development
and teamworking skills of researchers. Many universities run similar schemes independently.

Outside academia, training is usually more structured and there is a trend for scientists to develop their own training
programmes with guidance from a mentor.

Scientists in all settings must keep abreast of research techniques and scientific advances, so employers from all
spheres will support activities such as attendance at conferences or meetings to promote this. Attendance at a
conference often involves presenting your own work.

Membership of a professional organisation, such as the Institute of Biology (IOB) (www.iob.org), is another option. Some
scientists work towards chartered biologist status with the IOB.

Some universities and commercial companies combine academic knowledge and business acumen through Knowledge
Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) (www.ktponline.org.uk). As well as acquiring useful business skills through a KTP post, a
scientist can often study for a higher degree at the same time, funded by the employer.

Page 2 of 4 See also AGCAS Sector Briefings for an overview of job sectors - www.prospects.ac.uk/links/sectorbs
 Research scientist (medical)

Career Development
Career structures vary between sectors. In academia, after a PhD, most medical research scientists enter employment in
postdoctoral positions. These are normally short-term contracts of up to three years.

Most newly qualified postdoctoral fellows take up advertised positions or apply speculatively to an established scientist
with whom they wish to work. Many work abroad for a time, often in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia or Europe. This
allows them to experience different laboratory set-ups and widen their network of international contacts.

Career progression is usually related to the success of your research project and the quality and quantity of original
papers you publish. Scientists must also make successful applications for their own research funding, initially supported
by a more established research scientist.

It is common for researchers to work in at least two postdoctoral positions, although many scientists undertake three or
more short-term contracts before they have a chance of securing a highly sought-after permanent position in academic
science. There are nearly always teaching duties attached to these positions. Along the way, some may move into a
scientific role outside academia, or change career altogether.

Career development tends to be more structured in industry, hospitals or research institutes and usually involves taking
on increased responsibilities, such as supervising and managing projects, before moving into senior management roles.
It may be possible in some industrial companies to move into other functions, such as production, quality assurance, HR
or marketing.

Typical Employers
Typical employers in medical research include:

• universities;
• industry (especially pharmaceutical companies);
• research councils, especially the Medical Research Council (MRC) (www.mrc.ac.uk);
• the National Health Service (NHS) - see NHS Careers (www.nhscareers.nhs.uk);
• non-governmental and voluntary bodies, such as Cancer Research UK (www.cancerresearchuk.org) and the
Wellcome Trust (www.wellcome.ac.uk).

Work outside industry is usually funded by the government by the allocation of research funding to universities, research
councils and hospitals, for example. For a list of research bodies, see the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC)
(www.ukcrc.org) website. Medical research also receives extensive financial support from charitable bodies who fund
specific research into their areas of interest. For a full list of these, see the Association of Medical Research Charities
(AMRC) (www.amrc.org.uk) website.

Scientists employed within one organisation may often be funded from a variety of different sources.

Sources of Vacancies
• Nature (www.nature.com/nature/index.html);
• New Scientist (www.newscientist.com);
• Science Careers (sciencecareers.sciencemag.org);
• Times Higher Education (www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/);
• NHS Jobs (www.jobs.nhs.uk);
• Careers and Opportunities in NHS Scotland (www.infoscotland.com/nhs);
• Medical Research Council (MRC) (www.mrc.ac.uk);
• Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
(www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/training/welcome/html);
• Clinical Discovery (www.clinicaldiscovery.com);
• PharmiWeb (www.pharmiweb.com);
• Clinical Research Focus (CRfocus) (www.crjobs.org);
• national press, e.g. The Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk) (Tuesdays and Thursdays);
• Jobs.ac.uk (www.jobs.ac.uk);
• university websites.

There are specialist recruitment agencies for the pharmaceutical industry. See the vacancies pages in Nature and New
Scientist for a selection of these.

Related Occupations
• Biomedical scientist
• Clinical biochemist
• Clinical cytogeneticist
• Clinical molecular geneticist
• Clinical research associate
• Clinical scientist, histocompatibility and immunogenetics
• Immunologist
• Microbiologist
• Pharmacologist
• Research scientist (life science)

Find comprehensive careers information on www.prospects.ac.uk and in your HE careers service Page 3 of 4
Research scientist (medical)

Information Sources
Bibliography
AGCAS and Graduate Prospects products are available from higher education careers services.
AGCAS Publications
Handling Discrimination, AGCAS Information Booklet
Health Sector, AGCAS Sector Briefing
Options with Biochemistry, AGCAS Options Series
Options with Biology, AGCAS Options Series
Options with Biomedical Sciences, AGCAS Options Series
Options with Genetics, AGCAS Options Series
Options with Microbiology, AGCAS Options Series
Options with Pharmacology, AGCAS Options Series
Postgraduate Study and Research, AGCAS Information Booklet
Science Sector, AGCAS Sector Briefing
Your PhD ... What Next?, AGCAS Information Booklet
Graduate Prospects Publications
Prospects Postgraduate Directory
Other Publications
Clinical Research Focus (CRfocus), Institute of Clinical Research (ICR), 11 times pa
The Guardian, Guardian Newspapers Ltd, Daily
Nature, Nature Publishing Group (NPG), Weekly
New Scientist, Reed Business Information, Weekly
Times Higher Education, TSL Education, Weekly, Friday

Websites
Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), www.amrc.org.uk
Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/training/welcome/html
Cancer Research UK, www.cancerresearchuk.org
Careers and Opportunities in NHS Scotland, www.infoscotland.com/nhs
Clinical Discovery, www.clinicaldiscovery.com
Coalition for Medical Progress, www.medicalprogress.org
Higher Education and Research Opportunities in the UK (HERO), www.hero.ac.uk
Jobs.ac.uk, www.jobs.ac.uk
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), www.ktponline.org.uk
National Anit-Vivisection Society (NAVS), www.navs.org.uk
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), www.nice.org.uk
NHS Careers, www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
NHS Jobs, www.jobs.nhs.uk
Nuffield Foundation, www.nuffieldfoundation.org/
PharmiWeb, www.pharmiweb.com
Science Careers, sciencecareers.sciencemag.org
UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC), www.ukcrc.org
The UK GRAD Programme, www.grad.ac.uk
Wellcome Trust, www.wellcome.ac.uk

Addresses
Academy of Medical Sciences, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH Tel: 020 7969 5288 URL:
www.academicmedicine.ac.uk
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), 12 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DY Tel: 0870 890 4333 URL:
www.abpi.org.uk
Biochemical Society, Third Floor Eagle House, 16 Procter Street, London WC1V 6NX Tel: 020 7280 4100 URL:
www.biochemistry.org
Institute of Clinical Research (ICR), Institute House, Boston Drive, Bourne End, Buckinghamshire SL8 5YS
Tel: 0845 521 0056 URL: www.crjobs.org
Institute of Biology (IOB), 9 Red Lion Court, London EC4A 3EF Tel: 020 7936 5900 URL: www.iob.org
Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), 12 Coldbath Square, London EC1R 5HL Tel: 020 7713 0214 URL:
www.ibms.org
Medical Research Council (MRC), 20 Park Crescent, London W1B 1AL Tel: 020 7636 5422 URL: www.mrc.ac.uk
SEMTA: the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, Head Office, 14 Upton
Road, Watford WD18 0JT Tel: 01923 238 441 URL: www.semta.org.uk

© Content copyright of or licensed to AGCAS (www.agcas.org.uk)

Written by Suzanne Agnew, The University of Edinburgh, 12/11/2007

The work of writers, editors and other contributors is gratefully acknowledged - full details on www.prospects.ac.uk/links/occupations
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