 Scientific
Research and Development Services
 Related
Profiles of
Professionals
Industry
Overview
 From
carbon nanotubes to vaccines, workers in the scientific research and
development services industry create today the technologies that will
change the way people live and work in the future. The importance of
this industry is demonstrated by the considerable attention paid to it
by the press, business associations, politicians, and financial markets.
Major discoveries are heralded in both the technical and the popular
media, and many studies monitor the pace of research and development.
New technologies can quickly revolutionize business, medicine, and leisure, as the
Internet has.
 R&D
comprises three types of activities. Nearly everything consumers use,
from antibiotics to zoom lenses, is a product of basic research, applied
research, and development.
Basic Research
Basic research is conducted to
further scientific knowledge without any direct application. This sort
of research typically involves a high level of theory and is very risky;
many projects produce spectacular discoveries like nanotechnology, but
some are busts. Due to the
risk and broad applicability of the results, most basic research is
funded by government, universities, or nonprofit organizations.
Applied Research
Applied
research is the bridge between science and business. It is directed
toward solving some general problem, but may produce several viable
options that all achieve some aspect of the goal.
Development
Development, which
accounts for more than half of all R&D, according to the National
Science Board, then refines the technologies or processes of applied
research into immediately usable products, like cell phones. Most development is done by
private industry and is generally oriented toward manufacturing.
This industry includes
diverse fields. The most fundamental division of the scientific research
and development services industry is that between R&D in the physical,
engineering, and life sciences and R&D in the social sciences and
humanities. Important areas of research and development in the physical,
engineering, and life sciences include the biotechnology;
nanotechnology; pharmaceutical and medical devices; chemical and materials science;
electronics; aerospace; and automotive fields. Important fields of
research and development in the social sciences and humanities include
economics, sociology, anthropology, and psychology.
 Biotechnology
is among the most active fields of research and attracts about a quarter
of all funding from companies in the industry, according to National
Science Board data. Work in this field seeks to understand and use the
fundamental processes of cellular life to develop more effective
medicines, consumer products, and industrial processes. Advances in
biotechnology have led to new drugs and vaccines, disease-resistant
crops, more efficient enzymatic manufacturing processes, and novel
methods of dealing with hazardous materials. Bioinformatics, a branch of
biotechnology using information technologies to work with biological
data like DNA, is a particularly vibrant new area of work. Much of the
interest in biotechnology has derived from the medical applications of
its basic and applied research.
Nanotechnology is
perhaps even more of an emerging field than biotechnology, and they
often overlap in their work on the molecular level, such as with DNA
tagging. Nanotechnology is the study of new structures roughly on the
same scale as individual atoms, or one millionth of a millimeter. At
this size, materials behave differently and can be made into new
structures such as quantum dots, which are small devices that behave
like artificial atoms and can be used to tag sequences of DNA, make
nanoscopic switches for electronics, or produce extremely small lasers
for communications equipment. Because basic and applied research
comprises the bulk of work, immediate applications of nanotechnology are
still relatively few. The National Nanotechnology Initiative coordinates
research funding from Federal agencies and facilitates the development
of new technologies resulting from this research.
 Pharmaceutical
R&D is involved in the discovery of new drugs, antibiotics, and vaccines
to treat or prevent a wide range of health problems. This field also has
benefited greatly from advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and
chemistry, allowing better models of biochemical processes and more
efficient testing. Because a great deal of time is required to develop a
new treatment, most companies have several major programs running
concurrently, in what is sometimes referred to as the development
"pipeline." Because many projects incorporate all aspects of R&D, the
pharmaceuticals field tends to do more basic research than do other
fields.
Chemical and materials
science R&D focuses on the design and creation of new molecules or
materials with useful properties. By researching and modeling the
properties of molecules under various conditions, scientists in this
field can develop new chemical structures that are stable or volatile,
rigid or flexible, insulating or conductive. Since chemical R&D is
important to many technologies, it can include work on computer chip
manufacturing, composite materials development, or pollution reduction
through chemical treatment. Chemical R&D also plays a large role in both
biotechnology and nanotechnology R&D.
 Electronics
R&D incorporates a broad range of technologies, including computer
hardware, telecommunications, consumer electronics, automated control
systems, medical equipment, and electronic sensing. R&D in this field
leads to advances that make electronic systems faster, more reliable,
more compact, more useful, more powerful, and more accessible. The
development of new technologies, such as polymorphic processors for more
powerful computers, and the integration of these technologies into new
systems account for much of the R&D in this field. Basic research in
areas like electromagnetics and photonics also is a significant part of
the work.
Aerospace R&D relates
to aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and component parts and systems. More
than half of the R&D in aerospace is federally funded, with the
Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration supporting most of the work. Civil aerospace R&D now
ranges from developing more efficient passenger aircraft to designing
private spacecraft to launch satellites or transport humans into space,
but most is devoted to making air transportation safer and more
efficient.
 Automotive
R&D creates new vehicles and systems that are more efficient, powerful,
and reliable. While automotive R&D may be directed toward the
integration of new technologies into vehicles, much research also is
done on improving the individual components such as LED headlights or
fuel injectors. As electronic technology has advanced, so have
automotive designs. The incorporation of computer systems both for
monitoring performance and as separate additional features has added a
new dimension to R&D in this field. With the demand for more efficient
vehicles that provide more power while using less fuel, a good deal of
time and many resources are devoted to powertrain and car body R&D.
R&D in the social
sciences and humanities is more closely aligned with specific
occupations than it is in the physical, engineering, and life sciences.
Economic research typically involves monitoring and forecasting economic
trends relating to issues such as business cycles, competitiveness of
markets, or international trade. Sociological research analyzes the
institutions and patterns of social behavior in society, and the results
are used mainly by administrators to formulate policies. Anthropological
research focuses on the influence of evolution and culture on all
aspects of human behavior. Psychological research studies human thought,
learning, motivation, and abnormal behavior.
Working
Environment
 In
2004, workers in scientific research and development services averaged
37.4 hours per week, compared with 33.7 for workers in all industries.
The average for research and development in the physical, engineering,
and life sciences was 38.1, while the average for research and
development in the social sciences and humanities was only 32.2.
Most workers in this
industry work in offices or laboratories; the location and hours of work
vary greatly, however, depending on the requirements of each project.
Much work is done in teams.
Experiments may run at odd hours, require constant observation, or
depend on external conditions such as the weather. In some fields,
research or testing must be done in harsh environments to ensure the
usefulness of the final product in a wide range of environments. Other
research, particularly biomedical research, is conducted in hospitals.
Workers in product development may spend much time building prototypes
in workshops or laboratories, while research design typically takes
place in offices.
Employment
 Scientific
research and development services provided 548,000 jobs in 2004.
Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences
accounted for about 88 percent of the jobs; the rest were in research
and development in the social sciences and humanities. Although 82
percent of establishments have fewer than 20 workers, 53 percent of
employment in the industry is in establishments with more than 250
workers.
Although scientific
research and development services can be found in many places, the
industry is concentrated in a few areas. Just six states -- California,
New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, and Michigan --account
for over half of all R&D. Michigan accounts for the vast majority of R&D
in the automotive field.
Degree
Paths into this Industry
 Professional
and related occupations account for over half of the employment in this
industry. About 40 percent of jobs are in computer and mathematical
sciences, engineering occupations, and life and physical science
occupations, and 3 percent of jobs are in social sciences and related
occupations.
Life, physical, and
social scientists form the core of the research operations in the
industry. Biological scientists conduct research to understand
biological systems, develop new drugs, and work with genetic material.
Most work for pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; others perform
their research in Federal or academic laboratories. Medical scientists
research the causes of health problems and diseases, and then use this
information to develop medical treatments and preventive measures. Their
work is similar to that of biological scientists, but with a specific
emphasis on disease prevention and treatment. Chemists and materials
scientists research the nature of chemical systems and reactions,
investigate the properties of materials, and develop new products or
processes utilizing this knowledge. They perform research used by a
broad array of industries to develop new products. Along with
physicists, chemists and materials scientists conduct basic and applied
research on nanotechnology. Social scientists, such as economists,
market and survey researchers, sociologists, and anthropologists,
perform research on human behavior and social interaction. Science
technicians, sometimes called research assistants, assist scientists in
their research and typically specialize in an area of research. They may
set up and maintain lab equipment, monitor experiments, record results,
or interpret collected data.
 Engineers
and computer specialists usually are involved in applied research or in
development. Engineers design, produce, and evaluate solutions to
problems, either by creating new products or refining existing ones.
They apply the most current research findings to develop more efficient
products or processes of manufacture. Engineering technicians assist
engineers in preparing equipment for experiments, recording and
calculating results, or building prototypes. Their work is similar to
that of the engineers with whom they work but is more limited in scope.
Computer specialists, such as computer scientists, computer programmers,
and computer software engineers, develop new computer technologies,
programming languages, operating systems, and programs to increase the
usefulness of computers. Their work may include integrating advances in
computing theory into more efficient processing techniques.
 Another
19 percent of employment is in management, business, and financial
occupations. Engineering and natural science managers accounted for a
larger portion of the employment than in most industries. These managers
plan, coordinate, and direct the activities of engineers, natural
scientists, technicians, and support personnel to conduct research or
develop new products. As with engineers and natural scientists,
engineering managers tend to be involved in development, while natural
science managers tend to be involved in basic research. Both use their
technical expertise and business acumen to bridge the gap between goals
set by top executives and the incremental work done by engineers and
scientists.
Industry
Forecast
Wage and salary employment in scientific research and development
services is projected to increase 12 percent between 2004 and 2014,
compared with 14 percent employment growth for the economy as a whole.
Biotechnology and nanotechnology will continue to generate employment
growth. As the population ages, increased demand for medical and
pharmaceutical advances also will lead to growth in these areas. While
demand for new R&D is expected to continue to grow across all major
fields, this industry will need to digest the recent period of extremely
high growth brought about, in large part, by rapid advances in computer
and communication systems. Increased efficiency and the increasingly
high cost of equipment also will dampen employment growth as less of
each dollar spent on R&D is converted into employment.
 The
highest growth is expected for computer specialists, scientists, and
engineers -- particularly those in the life and medical sciences. With
the aging of the population, the demand for lifesaving new drugs,
devices, and
procedures to cure and prevent disease will drive this demand.
Biological scientists, for example, may be employed in biotechnology or
pharmaceuticals, both growing areas. Many other scientists and engineers
will be employed in defense and security R&D, also a growing field. As
information technology continues to be an integral component of R&D,
opportunities for computer specialists are expected to grow rapidly,
particularly for those with some biological science background working
in bioinformatics.
Opportunities for both
scientists and engineers are expected to be best for those who have
doctoral degrees, which prepare graduates for research. Creativity is
crucial, because scientists and engineers engaged in R&D are expected to
propose new research or designs. For experienced scientists and
engineers, it also is important to remain current and adapt to changes
in technologies that may shift interest -- and employment -- from one
area of research to another.
 Most
R&D programs have long project cycles that continue during economic
downturns. However, funding of R&D, particularly by private industry, is
closely scrutinized during these periods. Since the Federal Government
provides about a quarter of all R&D funding, shifts in policy also could
have a marked impact on employment opportunities, particularly in basic
research and aerospace.
Related
Degree Fields
Professional
Associations/Resources
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
|
|
