What does a research assistant professor do?
A research assistant professor works part-time at colleges or universities where they focus on conducting research and extensive studies. They typically work under the supervision and directives of a professor and perform support tasks such as gathering and analyzing samples through different scientific procedures, completing interviews and surveys, performing experiments and assessments, maintaining records, and handling calls and other forms of correspondence. Additionally, a research assistant professor may also teach undergraduates and participate in preparing activities and curriculum materials.
Research assistant professor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real research assistant professor resumes:
- Manage UW small animal MRI facility.
- Manage all aspects of HPLC method development and analysis through interpretation of data ensuring accuracy of results.
- Conduct basic and apply research on HIV immunology.
- Apply SAS and SPSS programming in a variety of research contexts.
- Key role in research group's NIH grant applications and long-term project planning.
- Develop python pipeline to analyze imaging data.
- Publish several peer review manuscripts in repute immunology journals.
- Coordinate promotional luncheon events with local hearing aid representatives and patients.
- Design and synthesis of functional water soluble small molecules or macromolecules.
- Perform as co-investigator contributing actively to applying for and renewing NIH grants.
- Develop an efficient synthesis of next generation of boron-rich biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles.
- Create experiments for supplemental education in the organic chemistry labs at the university.
- Research areas focus on cropping systems and environmental effects on physiology and production.
- Develop mathematical models and provide computational frameworks for optimal control of immune response of transplant patients.
- Develop improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reconstruction and post-processing algorithms to correct off-resonance blurring in spiral images.
Research assistant professor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Research Assistant Professors are proficient in Research Projects, Biomedical, and Research Program. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Observation skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Research Assistant Professors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Research Projects, 9%
Manage clinical research projects which evaluate the use of medical equipment for osteoporosis diagnosis.
- Biomedical, 7%
Co-founded and co-moderated the inaugural BioMedical Post-Doctoral Research in Progress Spring series.
- Research Program, 7%
Conducted innovative research program and historic field data mining for explaining fundamental phenomena of Earth's cooling system.
- Independent Research, 6%
Planned, implemented, analyzed and published the results of independent research regarding hormonal regulation of intestinal blood flow.
- Public Health, 5%
Collaborated with physicians in the Schools of Medicine, Public Health and Nutrition Sciences regarding study design and analysis strategies.
- Data Analysis, 5%
Performed large data analysis using mathematical modeling and regression analysis depicting the interactions between different areas of the brain neural system.
Common skills that a research assistant professor uses to do their job include "research projects," "biomedical," and "research program." You can find details on the most important research assistant professor responsibilities below.
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a research assistant professor to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "medical scientists must be able to explain their research in nontechnical ways." Additionally, a research assistant professor resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "develop in-person and online course curriculum in public health communication and research methods for undergraduate and graduate-level public health students. "
Observation skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling research assistant professor duties is observation skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "medical scientists conduct experiments that require monitoring samples and other health-related data." According to a research assistant professor resume, here's how research assistant professors can utilize observation skills in their job responsibilities: "validated and compared ozone data sets obtained through sbuv and sage missions with ground-based observations made with dobson and brewer spectrometers. "
The three companies that hire the most research assistant professors are:
- PSEA30 research assistant professors jobs
- University of Pennsylvania29 research assistant professors jobs
- University of Rochester16 research assistant professors jobs
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Compare different research assistant professors
Research assistant professor vs. Doctoral student
A doctoral fellow is a physician that has completed studies and receives a fellowship to cover his/her or her expenses while completing his/her or her medical dissertation. A doctor fellow undergoes this fellowship to get additional training for their chosen sub-specialty. During the fellowship period, a fellow can act as an attending physician or consultant physician with other physicians' direct supervision in the sub-specialty field.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a research assistant professor are more likely to require skills like "biomedical," "research program," "public health," and "patients." On the other hand, a job as a doctoral student requires skills like "scholar," "rna," "experimental design," and "gpa." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that doctoral students earn slightly differ from research assistant professors. In particular, doctoral students are 17.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a research assistant professor. Additionally, they're 29.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Research assistant professor vs. Doctoral fellow
A postdoctoral associate is responsible for researching to support scientific claims and theories by collecting evidence and information to answer scientific questions. Postdoctoral associates must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, to interact with people and document investigation findings. They also utilize laboratory tools and equipment for scientific researches, conduct field investigations, and interview participants. A postdoctoral associate designs comprehensive research models to discuss results with the panel and the team efficiently and accurately.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that research assistant professor responsibilities requires skills like "biomedical," "research program," "independent research," and "public health." But a doctoral fellow might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "veterans," "rna-seq," "molecular biology techniques," and "molecular mechanisms."
Doctoral fellows earn a lower average salary than research assistant professors. But doctoral fellows earn the highest pay in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $67,423. Additionally, research assistant professors earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $81,699 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Doctoral fellows tend to reach similar levels of education than research assistant professors. In fact, they're 3.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 29.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for research assistant professors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Betsy Smith
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College
Research assistant professor vs. Postdoctoral associate
Senior Research Fellows are reputable researchers employed in an academic institution or a research facility. The nature of their employment in the institution is related to their research work or field of interest. Senior Research Fellows lead a team of researchers on big projects that require more team members. They manage the team's budget, set timelines, and guide the researchers. They spearhead the analysis of the data gathered. They also set the tone for the presentation materials. Senior Research Fellows should be passionate about their field, should have a thirst for knowledge, and should be able to lead teams.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from research assistant professor resumes include skills like "research program," "public health," "molecular biology," and "research studies," whereas a postdoctoral associate is more likely to list skills in "mit," "rna sequencing," "molecular mechanisms," and "rna-seq. "
Postdoctoral associates earn the highest salary when working in the education industry, where they receive an average salary of $53,445. Comparatively, research assistant professors have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $81,699.postdoctoral associates typically earn similar educational levels compared to research assistant professors. Specifically, they're 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Research assistant professor vs. Senior research fellow
Types of research assistant professor
Updated January 8, 2025
