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The science job market in the London–Oxford–Cambridge triangle, after 10 years of rising public investment in the United Kingdom's science base, has never been stronger. But the shockwaves of the financial crisis are undermining the biotech industry and pharma restructuring is hitting R&D, while academia is refocusing research with a translational bent.

In a large country with many voices, the government, the academic community, and grassroots groups all have ideas and advice for young scientists.

"It’s an exciting and lucrative area of opportunity for Ph.D.-level scientists."

Leaving the chemistry department behind doesn't have to mean leaving chemistry behind. Chemists have a broad, and broadening, range of career options to choose from, both in and out of the lab. The biggest challenge is looking beyond the more traditional roles, which represent only a fraction of the options available in this fast-growing field.

The most important factors for ensuring a successful postdoctoral experience are honest and open communication with mentors, according to postdoc supervisors who responded to a survey carried out for Science
Careers. Here, they provide some strategies and tips for effective communication and for teaching graduates how to communicate better.

Universities across the United States and Europe are increasingly reshaping recruitment policies in order to attract and retain more junior faculty. Replacing the old sink or swim attitude is a desire to provide a more supportive and nurturing environment. Driving the new trend are several factors, including a concern that many of today's senior faculty are approaching retirement age and will need to be replaced, and a desire to have faculty that more closely reflect the gender and ethnic diversity of the population they serve.

As nations compete for scientific recognition, Germany is boosting its fight. Over the past few years, the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)—Germany's ministry of education and research—has upped the science budget and encouraged initiatives that require universities and scientists to be more innovative. The intention is to promote competition to improve the nation's science reputation.

Nationwide and institution-sized surveys show a leaky pipeline partially patched, but the reservoir still far from full.

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To be successful in this position the candidate must be a strong communicator and have an interest in intellectual property law. The candidate will participate in a patent law course and will be required to pass the United States Patent Agent Bar Exam within a predetermined amount of time.

Academic drug discovery is taking on a whole new character now, with technology and new partnerships between academia and industry and disease institutes and the government.

Asia is enjoying enormous investment in science and technology, and is proving a major attraction in the scientific jobs market.

“There are not only opportunities for scientists in R&D and operations, but also in areas such as marketing, sales, and business development. We are always looking for talent in all these sectors, and we have openings and candidates for these positions all throughout the year.”

Many scientists opt for a research career in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, so why not kick-start the process by also doing a postdoc in industry? Industrial postdocs often provide higher salaries and greater access to resources than their academic counterparts. But how do you find out about available positions and whether they are a good fit for you? Will a position as a postdoctoral fellow provide you a foot in the door at a company? And what if you don't like it? Will an industrial postdoc cut you off from returning to academia?

Tertiary academic institutions provide a setting where would-be scientists can hone cutting-edge technical skills and push theoretical boundaries.

While today's economic conditions are brutal, the forces shaping the drug industry's downsizing and restructuring have been at play for some time.

People well versed in environmental topics, or productive in developing methods that lighten the environmental footprint, will be highly sought, key players in the development of the new economy—and well rewarded.

On January 20, Barack Obama became the first African American to be sworn in as President of the United States. On that day television screens carried images of African American men and women moved to tears as they watched the historical event—one that many of them thought they would never witness in their lifetimes.

Like it or not, each of us has only 168 hours a week to spend in whatever way we see fit, and most of us apply at least one-fourth of those hours—about half of our waking hours—engaged in some type of gainful employment.

Intent on starting a business, Loleta Robinson (who has a medical degree and an M.B.A.), enrolled in ACTIVATE, a year-long University of Maryland, Baltimore program for aspiring entrepreneurial women.

The selection of a doctoral program: it's not quite marriage, but it's a long-term commitment that could turn into a lifetime relationship, perhaps impacting—positively or negatively—the rest of your research career.