As it happens the friend I mentioned in the previous post is a research chemist, a profession he’s followed for decades. I thought I might pass along to you his views on the prospects for research chemists in the United States.
In our chats yesterday evening he passed along several observations. First, pharmaceutical research is now experiencing the same sort of what he referred to as “consolidation” that took place in the rest of chemistry research in the United States some time ago. Second, there probably isn’t much future for research chemists in the United States. The companies you might think would be doing that research look at it as just so much unnecessary overhead.
Finally, while China, for a variety of cultural reasons, is unlikely to become the center of chemical research, other Asian countries, particularly Japan and Korea, will probably be where most of tomorrow’s discoveries in chemistry will take place.
These observations are just one man’s thoughts but the guy in question is really in a position to know.
This post is especially intended for those of you who think that the U. S.’s future economic prosperity depends on education. Education in what and to what end?
Well I can not speak to pharmaceutical research, as I have very little synthetic experience, but I have seen large growth in my field of interest, being material chemistry. Or perhaps more accurately I should say growth in the material sciences in general. Certainly, I know many people who have lost their jobs recently and company labs shutting down as the equipment is very expensive. I do not think it is more than the effect of the economy and not an overall trend. Perhaps I am wrong.
I’d like to suggest Food science. Although I have only a little experience in the field it seems to have a large potential for growth in ‘functional foods’ i.e. probiotic yogurts. Eventually this field will have to actually be regulated for real and thus requiring a large uptake in qualified people.
It’s funny you should mention that, Tad, since when my friend made his point I suggested that materials science was a possibility.
I am a Physicist (solid state/material science), and I worked in the semiconductor industry in R&D for over 17 years. From what I’ve seen, job prospects for anyone with an advanced degree in a hard science are dimmer than they have ever been.
Companies don’t see the value in fundamental research. Note that Bell Labs is no more.
Jack, that’s borne out by the increasing numbers of newly minted PhD’s taking post docs and for longer times. That’s usually a sign of lack of availability of better jobs.
Like anything else, research requires investment and, in my completely anecdotal opinion, there are not enough investment dollars in this area.
One good thing is that it looks like those scientists who find good jobs overseas will still be entitled to pay a fine or go to prison for not keeping up their health insurance policy in the USSA.