Research Associate become a Research Associate
The position of research associate is a common one in universities all over the world. In this position, you will be paid through research grants and you will work on a specific project at the university that hires you in this position. You will not be a permanent staff member and will be hired on a contractual basis only. The minimum requirements for such a job include holding a doctoral degree (PhD) and having at least two years experience in post-doctoral work.
There are also positions as a research associate for which you can apply outside of educational institutions though. These are usually permanent positions and you do not need to have a doctoral degree to apply. Such positions can include working within the pharmaceutical industry or the financial sector of the economy.
Within the sciences, you can become a research associate as part of your fellowship at a university. The appointment to such a position is usually for one year and if the powers that be like your work, you could receive an additional one-year contract. In order for your application to be considered, your grades play an important role in the selection process. If you have high marks, then you do have a chance of being hired. Another item considered in the selection of research associates is whether or not you have published any documents related to the project on which you will be working. Exceptional recommendations from professors and high-ranking university officials are also a must as is an in-depth knowledge of the material and research methods.
The position of clinical research associate is perhaps the best known of such positions. To meet the requirements for such a job, you must have a Bachelor of Science in one of the life sciences and experience working within the medical field. This experience could be teaching experience. You must also be enrolled in a program leading to a certificate in clinical research where you will learn how to conduct clinical trials and gain a greater knowledge about clinical practices.
It is essential that you have knowledge of the regulations in this field. In the US, this is Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is necessary so that your work will adhere to the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration.
When you obtain a position as a research associate, you will have a supervisor assigned to you as well as an assistant. Exceptional writing skills are a must because you will be expected to write up the results of the clinical trials and the accounts of the case studies. You may also have to make presentations, which calls for good speaking and presentation skills.
