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Research Associate R & D skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

6 min read

Quoted Experts

Katina Lillios,

Scott Johnson

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical research associate r & d skills. We ranked the top skills for research associate r & ds based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.3% of research associate r & d resumes contained cell culture as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a research associate r & d needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 research associate r & d skills for your resume and career

1. Cell Culture

Here's how research associate r & ds use cell culture:

Performed cell maintenance (cell splitting, cell freeze/thaw and media preparation) for cell culture and cell based assay activities.
Maintain cell culture lines used in assays, perform routine lab maintenance including new equipment setup, instrument calibration and ordering.

2. Elisa

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or ELISA is an examination or test to measure and detect a person's specific antigen, antibodies, and protein. This type of test will identify if the sample component is infected with a relative disease or condition such as HIV infection, anemia, Zika Virus, and Lyme disease with just a single experiment.

Here's how research associate r & ds use elisa:

Supervised summer interns involved in the extraction and purification of antigens, the biochemical analyses, and the ELISA assays.
Performed lot release tests on ELISA kit components during R&D and production phase in GMP environment.

3. Analyze Data

Analyze data or data analysis refers to the practice of studying, organizing, and transforming data to make it more useful. It also includes the cleansing of non-useful information which helps in better decision making regarding any particular matter. Analyze data is a practice that is used widely in the field of business, social sciences, and science.

Here's how research associate r & ds use analyze data:

Worked in 3-member team to perform surgery, analyze data, conduct consumer research, and present elevator pitch to investors.
Conducted tests on clinical samples with new in-house tests* Collect and analyze data from tests and presented them to department heads.

4. Data Analysis

Here's how research associate r & ds use data analysis:

Developed mechanisms for the management of product life-cycle from requirements gathering, data analysis, and final product development.
Performed high-level data analysis on revenue and wealth assessments, donor feasibility, and potential policy partnerships.

5. Cell-Based Assays

Here's how research associate r & ds use cell-based assays:

Performed metabolic stability assays in hepatocytes, cultures to optimize enzyme and cell-based assays for drug metabolism pathways.
Purified antibodies and antigens for antibody affinity screens, biochemical and cell-based assays, immunizations, and GLP toxicology studies.

6. GMP

GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practice. It is a system that ensures that all products like food, beverages, and medicinal drugs that are produced comply with the quality standards. It helps in minimizing the risks and hazards that cannot be eliminated after the testing of final products.

Here's how research associate r & ds use gmp:

Performed GMP testing including method validation, release and stability testing supporting phase 1 and phase 2 clinical drug products.
Assisted in product R&D and innovation; assured workers follow GMP & FDA guidelines in the facility.

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7. Technical Reports

Technical reports are a type of document that is used to indicate either the progress, result, or process of scientific research or the state of problems occurring within such research. A technical report may also showcase the report's overall conclusion and may also include recommendations. This kind of report does not require a peer review and isn't published officially but distributed within the organizations where it was formed.

Here's how research associate r & ds use technical reports:

Author research and technical reports to support regulatory filings.
Analyzed data and prepared internal technical reports.

8. Assay Development

Assay development is a process in molecular biology to test or measure the activity of a drug or biochemical substance in an organic sample or organism and to screen putative compounds to determine the interaction and/or modification of the target. The aim is to standardize the assay and to be able to use it repeatedly and reproducibly.

Here's how research associate r & ds use assay development:

Assisted assay development, provided support to fermentation and purification teams during process development of client projects.
Conduct assay performance and method validation experiments under direction of Assay Development Manager.

9. RNA

A Ribonucleic acid (RNA) has a vital role in determining the biological macromolecule commonly found in all bodily cells. It is the synthesis of protein, carriers message instruction from the Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA. RNA is a kind of single-stranded cell that has different forms. It allows the molecule to go back and forth to its original condition.

Here's how research associate r & ds use rna:

Developed novel kits, assays, and reagents for RNA isolation and analysis.
Focus on improving FISH product to validate and study RNA biomarker in FFPE tissue section.

10. Western Blotting

Here's how research associate r & ds use western blotting:

Practiced various laboratory techniques such as PCR, Western Blotting, and FACS.
Demonstrated target engagement in target issues by western blotting.

11. HPLC

Here's how research associate r & ds use hplc:

Developed HPLC method for analysis of drug delivery release mechanism.
Performed solubility studies to aid lead selection by using HPLC for small molecule that went into phase I.

12. Cell Lines

Here's how research associate r & ds use cell lines:

Maintain, differentiate and characterize various mammalian cell lines including primary cell isolation.
Stored, maintained and proliferated in-house and in-coming cell lines.

13. QC

Quality control is a set of instructions or procedures to ensure a manufactured product or a service is up to the highest quality standards. This set of quality control criteria are either defined by the clients or the company itself.

Here's how research associate r & ds use qc:

Worked closely with QC and Manufacturing during verification/validation.
Assisted in writing of manufacturing procedures, QC procedures, application notes, product manual, and patent.

14. Experimental Data

Experimental Data is science and engineering data produced by measurements, test methods, and experimental designs. Data is collected and measured through standard objectives.

Here's how research associate r & ds use experimental data:

Presented in bimonthly Sprint reviews to company executives and departmental managers with experimental data and project updates.
Prepared summary reports of experimental data utilizing Microsoft Excel, Access & SharePoint.

15. Laboratory Equipment

Here's how research associate r & ds use laboratory equipment:

Perform basis troubleshooting and maintenance of laboratory equipment.
Performed basic repairs and maintenance of laboratory equipment.

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What skills help Research Associate R & Ds find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on Research Associate R & D resumes?

Katina Lillios

Professor, Department Chair, The University of Iowa

While the precise skills that are desired depend on the job, there are some that all graduates from an Anthropology program should work on developing. These include experience contributing to group projects, collaborating with diverse communities, strong communication and writing skills, versatility, and mastery of a specialized skill, such as GIS, a foreign language, statistics, and other digital technologies.

What Research Associate R & D skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Scott Johnson

Professor and Director, University of Maine

This would depend on the student's goals. If interested in working in the environmental industry: HAZWOPER training, obtaining a Professional Geologist certification, developing programming skills. The PG can be obtained through self-study to pass the exam; then, the experience is needed to receive official accreditation. HAZWOPER training can be obtained through short courses. Programming skills in many popular languages can be learned online and with freely available material on the internet. I'd also advocate for people getting work experience, if possible. On a general note, computer programming skills, math/physics knowledge, GIS/remote sensing, and UAV training are valuable ways to use a gap year. Students can do these things effectively from anywhere, as long as they have a computer. There are many online options and even apps to improve knowledge in these fields and are needed for what we do.

What type of skills will young Research Associate R & Ds need?

Jack Evans

Director of Academic Advising and Senior Instructor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

There are many potential answers to this question, but there are a couple of things that immediately come to mind. First, Technology seems to change/improve every day, so it is important for young graduates to stay "digitally literate," which will allow for, among other things, the ability to access, assess, and analyze information/data pertaining to their work.

What technical skills for a Research Associate R & D stand out to employers?

Sya Kedzior Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Towson University

The ability to understand technical or complex scientific processes and communicate that information with the public is one of the most attractive skills for an entry-level worker to possess. Many employers may not have staff skilled in the latest GIS technologies or social media trends. While the ability to use last year's software or network via Instagram might not seem particularly novel to recent graduates, these are skills less likely to be found in the workforce of even 10 years ago. Geographers are particularly well prepared for today's workforce because they've often had coursework across the "hard" and social sciences, along with training in technical skills (usually GIS or quantitative analysis) and written and oral communication skills. Another skill in high demand today is data collection and analysis. I often talk with potential employers who want to hire people who can develop and administer a public survey, and then analyze and write up the results. That requires understanding human behavior, public communication, and different forms of data analysis. But, these are skills that can be developed in perhaps only a few classes as part of a major or minor in Geography and other cognate fields.

What soft skills should all Research Associate R & Ds possess?

Dr. DeQuan Smith

Assistant Director, Graduate Education & Career Connections, Morehouse School of Medicine

Adaptability, collaboration, learning agility, emotional intelligence, creativity, interpersonal communication, growth mindset, focus mastery, and innovation.

What hard/technical skills are most important for Research Associate R & Ds?

Satchal Erramilli

Staff Scientist at UofC, Adjunct Professor at Elmhurst, The University of Chicago and Elmhurst University

Relevant research experience is a requisite, and candidates should be well versed in at least some of the experimental techniques for a given position. These can include performing biochemical assays, handling biomolecules, and experience with adjacent research areas such as biophysical methods and molecular biology tools. We wouldn't say it is required that someone is experienced in all relevant areas; with independent research experience and training comes the expectation that one can obtain the necessary skills with limited guidance. For an academic researcher running their own lab, the ability to obtain external funding is likely the most important facet of their job. Like all others, this is a skill that comes with extensive practice and is related to the first soft skill mentioned above.

Do you want to know more?

List of research associate r & d skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a research associate r & d resume and required skills for a research associate r & d to have include:

Cell Culture
Elisa
Analyze Data
Data Analysis
Cell-Based Assays
GMP
Technical Reports
Assay Development
RNA
Western Blotting
HPLC
Cell Lines
QC
Experimental Data
Laboratory Equipment
Harvest
Lims

GLP
Graphpad Prism
SDS-PAGE
Electrophoresis
DNA
PowerPoint
Extraction
Animal Handling
FDA
Immunoassay
JMP
Clinical Trials
Stem Cells
Research Projects
Stability Studies
Test Methods
Data Entry

Laboratory Notebook
Drug Products
Analytical Method Development
Lab Equipment
CE
Sample Preparation
OSHA
DOE
IND
Data Collection
GEL Electrophoresis
Java
Bioassays
Liquid Chromatography
Development Reports

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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