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What does a staff research scientist do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Betsy Smith

A staff research scientist is responsible for conducting and evaluating research. They may work in areas such as meteorology, geosciences, medical research, or pharmacology. They develop experiments, conduct them, and analyze data.

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Staff research scientist responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real staff research scientist resumes:

  • Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
  • Establish critical metrics for HPLC and GC analysis of raw materials, intermediates and process products.
  • Perform QC of final products by analytical chromatography, LC/MS and MALDI-MS before being deliver to final users.
  • Suggest modifications to the procedures that would help them to solve their HPLC instrument or method relate issues.
  • Develop, validate and implement robust methods for pharmacokinetic, immunogenicity (ADA) and immunodepletion ELISAs, and cell based-bioassays.
  • Optimize sample prep/clean-up by precipitation, SPE, liquid-liquid extractions.
  • Interpret metabolism data and review reports to support strategies forward thinking with a specialization in drug metabolism and metabolic enzymes.

Staff research scientist skills and personality traits

We calculated that 9% of Staff Research Scientists are proficient in QC, HPLC, and Product Development.

We break down the percentage of Staff Research Scientists that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • QC, 9%

    Provided immunological support for Manufacturing QC Microbiology laboratory.

  • HPLC, 8%

    Suggested modifications to the procedures that would help them to solve their HPLC instrument or method related issues.

  • Product Development, 7%

    Generated accurate, timely and critical analytical data for customers - propelling product development and research programs forward toward commercialization.

  • Cell Biology, 6%

    Composed slide decks and presented findings at multiple departmental seminars and American Society for Cell Biology annual meetings.

  • CRISPR, 5%

    Created ion channel protein knockout T cell line by using CRISPR technology.

  • LCMS, 5%

    Identified impurities in final drug by LCMS and rejected impurities with ethanol/water swish.

"qc," "hplc," and "product development" are among the most common skills that staff research scientists use at work. You can find even more staff research scientist responsibilities below, including:

Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a staff research scientist 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 staff research scientist resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "display good communication skills, practical dexterity and attention to detail. "

Observation skills. Another essential skill to perform staff research scientist duties is observation skills. Staff research scientists responsibilities require that "medical scientists conduct experiments that require monitoring samples and other health-related data." Staff research scientists also use observation skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "maintained a clean and safe work environment while making observations and calculations in a laboratory notebook. "

All staff research scientist skills

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Compare different staff research scientists

Staff research scientist vs. Fellow

A fellow's responsibility will depend on the organization or industry where one belongs. However, most of the time, a fellow's duty will revolve around conducting research and analysis, presiding discussions and attending dialogues, handle lectures while complying with the guidelines or tasks set by supervisors, and assist in various projects and activities. Furthermore, a fellow must adhere to the institution or organization's policies and regulations at all times, meet all the requirements and outputs involved, and coordinate with every person in the workforce.

We looked at the average staff research scientist salary and compared it with the wages of a fellow. Generally speaking, fellows are paid $40,429 lower than staff research scientists per year.Even though staff research scientists and fellows are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require nih, sql, and dna in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, staff research scientist responsibilities require skills like "biochemistry," "qc," "hplc," and "product development." Meanwhile a typical fellow has skills in areas such as "patients," "professional development," "veterans," and "mathematics." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Fellows earn the highest salaries when working in the professional industry, with an average yearly salary of $67,978. On the other hand, staff research scientists are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $131,084.fellows tend to reach similar levels of education than staff research scientists. In fact, fellows are 2.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 12.9% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Staff research scientist vs. Doctoral fellow

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.

Doctoral fellow positions earn lower pay than staff research scientist roles. They earn a $53,427 lower salary than staff research scientists per year.A few skills overlap for staff research scientists and doctoral fellows. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "hplc," "cell biology," and "crispr. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that staff research scientist responsibilities requires skills like "biochemistry," "qc," "product development," and "lcms." But a doctoral fellow might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "patients," "cell culture," "data analysis," and "research projects."

Doctoral fellows may earn a lower salary than staff research scientists, but doctoral fellows earn the most pay in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $67,423. On the other hand, staff research scientists receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $131,084.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Doctoral fellows tend to reach similar levels of education than staff research scientists. In fact, they're 2.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 12.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for staff research scientists in the next 3-5 years?

Dr. Betsy SmithDr. Betsy Smith LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College

Honestly, I think anytime a scientist tries to predict what will be "big" in a few years, they're likely to fail. That said, I think there's a growing interest among consumers for more "green" products, so research into those areas will likely grow. For instance, we might see attempts to develop new plastics that are safer for the environment and humans, perhaps biodegradable. Organic chemistry traditionally uses harsh solvents and chemicals that are difficult to dispose of safely, so there is an effort to find alternatives to these. Analytical chemistry techniques for separating and identifying compounds, like GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), will likely continue to be necessary. CRISPR, the relatively new gene-editing technology, is likely to become even more widely used on the biochemistry side of things.

Staff research scientist vs. Postdoctoral scholar

A Postdoctoral Scholar is responsible for supporting an educational research group to conduct studies and gather relevant data to support study claims and scientific evidence. They review initial findings, perform field investigations, and interview the target respondents for data and statistical analysis. They also coordinate with the whole team for efficient research methods, ensuring adherence to budget limitations and required timetables. A Postdoctoral Scholar must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, to document reports and discuss results with the research team.

On average, postdoctoral scholars earn lower salaries than staff research scientists, with a $49,206 difference per year.Using the responsibilities included on staff research scientists and postdoctoral scholars resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "hplc," "crispr," and "c++.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a staff research scientist is likely to be skilled in "biochemistry," "qc," "product development," and "cell biology," while a typical postdoctoral scholar is skilled in "chemistry," "python," "patients," and "data analysis."

Postdoctoral scholars make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $72,557. On the other hand, staff research scientists are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $131,084.Most postdoctoral scholars achieve a similar degree level compared to staff research scientists. For example, they're 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Staff research scientist vs. Postdoctoral associate

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.

Postdoctoral associates average a lower salary than the annual salary of staff research scientists. The difference is about $52,443 per year.According to resumes from staff research scientists and postdoctoral associates, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "hplc," "cell biology," and "crispr. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between staff research scientists and postdoctoral associates, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a staff research scientist might have more use for skills like "biochemistry," "qc," "product development," and "lcms." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of postdoctoral associates require skills like "patients," "tip," "data analysis," and "biomedical. "

In general, postdoctoral associates earn the most working in the education industry, with an average salary of $53,445. The highest-paying industry for a staff research scientist is the technology industry.The average resume of postdoctoral associates showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to staff research scientists. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 4.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 20.6%.

Types of staff research scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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