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Moving from an academic environment to an industrial laboratory can prove difficult because of the need to adapt to a different culture. Here, we provide tips on how best to make a seamless transition.

Women leaders in science—from a university president and policy makers to an academic researcher and industrial scientists—see improvements in this field’s gender balance, but they also know that more must be done. An increasing number of women are entering scientific studies in college, but better ways are needed to keep these women in science and to help them grow into leadership positions.

Many foreign-born scientists have made the United States their home because the country provides some of the best training and career opportunities worldwide. But life as a foreign scientist is not without its challenges.

With major boosts in science funding, Europe hopes to become a hot spot of innovative science and technology.

Complex scientific problems and socially relevant issues are challenging scientists to find new ways to integrate knowledge from multiple and disparate fields. Increasingly, collaborative approaches are changing the way science is done.

"The more options and more information students have about career choices, the better career choices they will make,"

Neurological and psychiatric disorders affect a growing number of individuals—nearly one in five Americans in a given year and more than two billion people worldwide. Furthermore, the scope of neuroscience is vast—ranging from the most basic cellular-level research to translational medicine—and many unanswered questions remain. Interesting niche areas have emerged in neuroscience research such as neuroeconomics, neuromarketing, and neural networks. Together, these factors make neuroscience one of the more exciting and opportunity-laden fields in which to pursue a scientific career.

Several programs are aiming to increase the number of individuals with disabilities in science and technology careers by removing barriers and changing attitudes.

The 2007 version of Science
’s annual survey of Top Employers features a tight race for first place among three companies. It also reveals the key ingredient for all successful employers: a commitment to innovative thinking throughout the product pipeline, from the laboratory to the clinic or marketplace.

"I emerged as a stronger and healthier person from my depression. My experience of the world is now more intense and full." - Christine Van Broeckhoven

"For her, that's the ultimate goal, not just for the status of a cover image on a sexy, high-profile journal but rather that this is a beautiful image that people are going to see." --Rebecca Heald

"At this stage, most of these students are … managed rather than to manage themselves. But at some point that changes. Students ... become group leaders or professors, and then they are still missing the necessary tools to guide and lead one or even several groups and projects." --Henner Willnow (pictured above), project manager of TRAYSS PRIME

"Betty got it right away. You've got to do the work. And I really think that's Betty. She's willing to make the sacrifices necessary to reach her goals." --Eric Grotzinger

Nowadays, "most researchers, especially forest ecologists, are incorporating climate change impacts into their research," says canopy ecologist Catherine Cardelús.

As universities increasingly emphasize multidisciplinary research and teaching, would-be faculty members must demonstrate their ability to cross disciplinary boundaries. But they must make sure that they don’t lose academic depth when they gain new breadth.

Intellectual property and technology transfer play important roles in today’s science. A scientist’s career can change dramatically through patents, which can spawn companies or funds for research. Moreover, some scientists create exciting careers by moving from the bench to a technology transfer office in academics, government, or industry.

The UK and Ireland are both reaching for the benefits of a knowledge economy. The UK leads Europe’s biotechnology scene, and Ireland’s rapid economic trajectory through the 1990s has radically altered the research landscape thanks to large injections of cash. International companies’ search for research talent has intensified. Many have set up operations in the UK and Ireland where they tap into expertise from world-class universities, as well as opening their arms to researchers moving on from the competitive academic sector.