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Contributing to our understanding of STEM fields within higher education. Depending on the specific subject, work can be experimental or theoretical. 



Research

Entry level

Sanu obtained his PhD in Biotechnology from India and moved to the UK in 2021 to take up a six-month Global talent Research fellow position at the University of East Anglia. After that, he joined the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant.  

He says, "After understanding that research is my passion and being determined to align my passion with my career, it was my dream to gain research experience at prestigious institutions like the University of Cambridge. Though I joined the University as a Research Assistant, my previous research experience helped me win my supervisor's confidence to carry on with an independent research project in the lab. Working on that project provided an opportunity to prove my research skills and gain experience in a high-tier research environment and the facilities available in the institute that ultimately helped to progress into a research associate position in the same institute nine months after joining." 


Sanu Korumadathil Shaji

A Postdoctoral Research Assistant is a junior position in a research group or lab (depending on the subject area), within a university or research institute. As the name suggests, research assistants assist with the day-to-day activities of research, and it is an opportunity to work alongside scientists on a daily basis. 

## Overview

Key skills: 

- A [ Higher Degree ^ Postgraduate Degree ] ([ PhD ^ PhD ]/[ DPhil ^ DPhil ]/[ MD ^ MD ]) in a relevant [ field ^ Field] 
- Enthusiasm to support research 
- Experience relevant to the field in either a research or lab environment
- Able to work effectively and independently in a research context 
- Well-developed communication skills, both written and oral 
- Able to integrate into a [ research group ^ Research Group ]

**Typical job titles:**
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Research Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant 

Within STEM, a research assistant is a junior position in a research group or [ lab ^ Laboratory ] (depending on the subject area), within a university or [ research institute ^ Research Institute ]. As the name suggests, research assistants assist with the day-to-day activities of research, and it is an opportunity to work alongside scientists on a daily basis. 

In general, there are two levels of research assistant position – ‘postdoctoral research assistant’ which is for those who have a [ doctorate ^ Doctorate ] (e.g. a PhD) and ‘research assistant’ for those who don't. 

Note that because role titles are not always the same, there may not always be a clear distinction between a ‘postdoctoral research assistant’ and other early-career postdoctoral research positions (such as [Postdoctoral Researcher](https://yourstemcareerpath.royalsociety.org/career-profiles/postdoctoral-researcher)). Be aware, because the roles can be different.

This profile focuses on the tasks and responsibilities of a research assistant position that does not require a PhD. The tasks and responsibilities of the version that does require a PhD (the [ postdoctoral ^  Postdoctoral ] version) will be similar but with more independence, although not as much independence as a [Postdoctoral Researcher](https://yourstemcareerpath.royalsociety.org/career-profiles/postdoctoral-researcher).


Overview

## Salary

It is likely that research assistant roles that do not require a [ PhD ^ PhD ] will have a slightly lower salary level than postdoctoral research assistant roles. 

In almost all cases they are likely to be under £30,000 and some research assistant roles could be a long way below this. Jobs in London may include an additional London weighting. 

Salary

## Skills

Different jobs may require specific skills in relation to the research team and project in which the role is located, but perhaps the key requirement is enthusiasm to support research. Some experience of research would be valuable, or of a particular practical research or [ experimental ^ Experimental ] technique.

Many research assistant positions are full-time but many part-time roles will also be available, depending on the project. In many cases they will be of a fixed term, and can be relatively short term carrying out a particular part of a research project (for example, recruiting participants for a study and collecting data from them). More permanent positions may be found in [ research institutes ^ Research Institute ] (i.e. not universities), or in other organisations.

Employment contracts typically specify a 35 to 37 hour working week, but extra hours in evenings and weekends may be required, when conducting experiments for example.


Skills

## Population

As with many jobs in universities, it is hard to pin down exactly how many research assistants there are, because the role covers a range of jobs.

It is thought that there are up to 8000 research assistant positions in total, with around half being [ postdoctoral ^ Postdoctoral ] positions.

Population

## Career Stage

As the name suggests, this is an [ entry-level ^ Entry Level ] position to work in research in a university or a [ research institute ^ Research Institute ] (or an organisation outside [ higher education ^ Higher Education ] such as a science company).

It can be started directly after an [ undergraduate ^ Undergraduate ] or [ Master’s ^ Master's ] degree, or after a [ PhD ^ PhD ] (hence the two versions of role described). 

Sometimes PhD [ graduates ^ Graduate ] apply for and obtain a research assistant position that doesn't require a PhD, to get into the research system. 


Career Stage

## Role and responsibilities 

The type of work of a research assistant does will depend on the project the position is supporting, and the specific area of STEM. Research group leaders or other scientists will recruit research assistants with relevant subject knowledge and at least some of the technical skills needed for the research project. Training in certain new skills and techniques will often be offered.

Research assistant roles aimed at [ Bachelor's ^ Bachelor's ] and [ Master’s ^ Master's ] [ graduates ^ Graduate ] usually involve assisting with certain tasks using methods that are predefined. Although expected to problem-solve and work alone to some extent, as well as within a team, there usually isn't much opportunity for any independent research compared to those working in a [ postdoctoral ^ Postdoctoral ] position (and, for that matter, much less than doing a [ doctorate ^ Doctorate ]).

In [ laboratory ^ Laboratory ] sciences, the core activities of role will use and build on the laboratory and research skills developed while an undergraduate or Master’s student:

- Plan and carry out experiments, sometimes operating complex instruments, following good laboratory practice.
- Gather research data using defined methods.
- Interpret data using specified techniques or models.
- Prepare reports of methods and findings.
- Carry out [ literature ^ Literature ] searches within a given scope.
- Contribute to the sharing and publication of research findings (such as [ journal ^ Journal ] and [ conference ^ Conference ] [ papers ^ Paper ], presentations and reports) to the [ academic ^ academic ] scientific community.

The role may also involve:
- Providing advice and guidance to research students and other members of staff in the lab (often informally).
- Helping the group leader with admin tasks when they are developing new [ research proposals ^ Research Proposal ] and applications for funding.
- Contributing to [ public engagement ^ Public Engagement ], [ knowledge exchange ^ Knowledge Exchange ] activities or consultancy projects.
- Carrying out [ fieldwork ^ Fieldwork ].


Role and responsibilities 

## Location 

Research assistant posts are available at universities, [ research institutes ^ Research Institute ] and other organisations that conduct research such as science companies.

Among universities, there are more opportunities at ‘research-intensive’ ones, such as members of the [ Russell Group ^ Russell Group ], purely because the majority of [ grant-funded ^ Grant-funded ] research projects take place in them. The regions with the greatest number and range of researcher opportunities are the south-east (including London) and east of England. Lots of positions can be found in particular areas, for example in biomedical and life sciences in Cambridge.

Location

## Qualifications 

Depending on the level, research assistant posts require either:

- A [ first degree ^ First Degree ] (and sometimes a [ Master’s ^ Master's ]) in a relevant subject; or

- A degree plus the specialist expertise of a [ doctorate ^ Doctorate ]/[ PhD ^PhD ] holder, although organisations or universities offering this kind of post may accept applications from candidates who are close to completing their doctorate/PhD as well as those who already have one.

A candidate for a research assistant position will need to hold a degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the specific research setting. It is likely that having some hands-on research experience will be beneficial, hence those with a relevant doctorate (PhD or similar qualification) may be preferred, depending on the position. 


Qualifications 

## Progression

A research assistant post offers an opportunity to understand how university or [ academic ^ Academic ] research operates, and see whether a research career is for you. [ Laboratory ^ Laboratory ] experience gained in these posts could be valuable in a whole range of roles.

Research assistants with a [ PhD ^ PhD ] may be able to progress to a more independent position such as a [Postdoctoral researcher](https://yourstemcareerpath.royalsociety.org/career-profiles/postdoctoral-researcher). Those without a PhD will find it harder to progress within a university, but could transfer to a different pathway such as a [Research Technician](https://yourstemcareerpath.royalsociety.org/career-profiles#/technician,early-career). 

Whether you are able to build a ‘research track record’ (research experience and [ publications ^ Publications ] that will help you advance as a researcher) in a research assistant position will depend on the specific role and institution. Not all research assistant posts will boost your career in this way because the work may be closely managed or directed, offering less opportunity for independent research and for your work to be published. As job titles vary between universities, it will be important to investigate each post to judge what experience and opportunities for progression will be available.

Within university, an alternative pathway can be through scientific support, such as via the [technician route](https://yourstemcareerpath.royalsociety.org/career-profiles#/technician,entry-level), which can be in laboratory management, study co-ordination, other technical support roles, or research administration (e.g. [ grant ^ Grant ] management, [ commercialisation ^ Commercialisation ] and [ knowledge exchange ^ Knowledge Exchange ]). Some STEM-related opportunities are also available in training and development, careers support, and [ public engagement ^ Public Engagement ] and [ outreach ^ Outreach ]. 


Progression

Postdoctoral Research Assistant

Home

Career pathways

Career profiles

Postdoctoral Research Assistant 

Postdoctoral Researcher

Research Fellow

Research Professor

Graduate Teaching Assistant 

Lecturer

Associate Professor

Professor

Research Scientist

Assistant Technician

Technician

Clinical Doctoral Fellow

Clinical Lecturer

Case studies

Changing sectors

STEM 101

Further Resources

Qualification profiles:

Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees

Doctoral research (including PhD)

rule

Support for:

Disabled scientists

Scientists from ethnic minority backgrounds

Women in STEM

LGBTQ+ scientists

Next steps

Fellowship schemes

Researcher development framework

Useful links

Glossary

About

The pathways shown are intended to be illustrative, and do not represent an exhaustive picture of STEM careers or routes through them. Role titles are not standardised across all institutions, so when looking at roles it is important to be aware of what the role actually entails, rather than going by title alone.

Salary information was developed in 2022/2023 and is subject to change with time.