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In the same period of time it takes to earn a Ph.D., budding scientists can experiment with a wide variety of educational paths and career tracks—and discover what they really want to do.

Early and sustained interventions which strongly feature mentoring are essential in helping Native American and Latino students navigate an unfamiliar academic system that is dominated by majority culture and practices. Throughout students’ educational progression and well into their initial strides upon donning the doctoral gown, they depend upon a clearly marked career map, research training opportunities, professional skills development, peer networks, and role models. These factors can mean the difference between successfully reaching their goals and taking missteps ending in an impassable career detour.

To many on the outside, life as a tenured faculty member conjures up images of dreamy afternoons spent theorizing at one's desk, interspersed with occasional trips to the lab to hold up test tubes to the light. Of course, anyone who's been to grad school for more than a week knows there's more to scientific endeavor than that. In fact, a faculty member's requisite skill set is quite extensive.

Tremendous strides have been made in eradicating infectious disease scourges such as smallpox and polio that once killed and crippled millions; still, about 15 million deaths—or about one third of all deaths annually—result from infectious diseases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Of those, nearly half involve children under the age of 5 years, predominantly in poorer countries. The ongoing hefty death toll, the pharmaceutical industry’s increasing interest in the research and development of vaccines, and plentiful funding from multiple sources all combine to provide a range of opportunities for postdocs and graduate students in vaccine research. The field is high growth and, perhaps more important, the fruits of this work promise to have a real impact on the health of the world’s population.

European research institutions seek to diversify funding sources as well as their work force.

Singapore has fast become a significant biomedical hub. But can it maintain the momentum?

About 20 years ago Alice, a virologist, was up for a position as university president. She was one of three possible candidates. But during her interview things started to go a bit sour when the committee persistently asked her what she would be willing to give up should she be given the job.

Publish or perish is the scientist's maxim—with good reason. Career advancement hinges on publications. But data generation requires dollars. And as the time it takes for investigators to become financially independent grows, the old adage may also motivate early-career researchers to capitalize on their youth.

The global financial crisis has beaten down science budgets everywhere. So it's no surprise that science-spending forecasts for Europe are grim.

Denmark's Øresund bridge—connecting Copenhagen to southern Sweden—symbolizes the country's strengths in connecting basic and applied research, and academic and corporate interests.

Although academia and industry differ in many ways, the two environments are ultimately more similar than they are different.

Proliferating water problems are building a wave of opportunities for scientific expertise, knowledge, and innovative solution. Here's a look at the growing pool of diverse needs

Numerous factors, large and small, come into play when one is deciding where to pursue a research career. Here, faculty members and deans size up their decision to work at a smaller institution and the issues that they face.

The traditional path—graduate school to postdoc to academic tenure-track—is no longer a sure thing. How can you gain an edge in the increasingly competitive science profession? Start building your career plan.

Translational research programs bring together physicians, bench scientists, bioengineers, epidemiologists, patent experts, and more. The goal is learning to communicate across disciplines to achieve advances in health care.

The key to success is being flexible and open to change as well as having a collaborative spirit.

As a “home away from home” for many scientists, labs are replete with interpersonal dynamics. But PI’s can help set a positive tone.

This year's survey of top employers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries has a familiar winner but plenty of shifting among other places in the top 20. The leading companies highlight a consistent theme: the importance of strong basic science as the platform on which to build reputations and commercial success.

Not sure a Ph.D. is the best route? Take heart: There are plenty of opportunities in science for those who have a B.S. or M.S. degree.