If you want to become a biomedical ethics researcher, you must first determine if this career is right for you.
Are you interested in the relationships between medical research and ethics? Does a career in academics and research interest you? How about a career that allows you to explore biomedical ethics questions from the perspective of your chosen academic field?
If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to these questions, then working in this field may be well suited for you!
Below we've outlined what you'll need to succeed in a career as a biomedical ethics researcher. We've also included helpful information for this career, such as job description, job duties, salary expectations and much more!
Education Needed to Become a Biomedical Ethics Researcher
As biomedical ethics researchers are typically employed as university professors, they typically share the same educational requirements as that profession. University professors are required to have doctoral degrees in their field. Some universities, or faculties within some universities may make exceptions to this, as they may hire those who have a master’s degree or hire doctoral degree candidates. This is more common among associate and assistant level professors.
University professors who teach in professional faculties, such as law, may not be required to have a doctoral level education. Instead, schools may seek professors who have experience or certification in the field they wish to teach.
Students hoping to become university professors must be able to demonstrate academic excellence at every level of study; high school, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral. Some universities require prospective professors to have made significant contributions to their field if they are to be considered for employment.
Biomedical ethics professors may come from a variety of academic backgrounds, including medicine, philosophy, sociology, law, theology and religious studies, as biomedical ethics can be scrutinized from viewpoints stemming from expertise in these subjects.
General Job Description
Biomedical ethics researchers collaborate in the design, analysis, research and reporting of biomedical ethics research projects. They are primarily concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy.
Typical Job Duties
• Assist in defining scope and design of research project
• Establish timelines and budget
• Identify necessary resources
• Produce concise summary reports for analysis
• Provide guidance for inter-institutional projects
• Coordinate multidisciplinary team activities
Biomedical Ethics Researcher Salary
The salary of biomedical ethics researchers can vary widely, depending on many factors, such as where they work, their level of education and experience, or the level of funding for their project.
Unfortunately there is no reliable salary data available for this profession, however we can get an idea of what biomedical ethics researchers earn by looking at the salary levels of a closely related profession of University Professor, as this career involves many of the same qualifications, education and responsibilities. Colleges and universities are also the main employers of biomedical ethics researchers.
Salary in United States: According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for those working as post-secondary teachers is $73,090.
Who Employs These Professionals?
The following types of organizations typically hire Biomedical ethics researchers:
• Colleges and universities
• Federal government departments
• Public and private research institutions
• Biomedical consulting companies
Biomedical Ethics Research Jobs
Although internet-based job postings in this field are rare, our job board below might have biomedical ethics researcher opportunities listed...give it a shot:
Similar Occupational Profiles in Our Database
Listed below are careers in our database that are similar in nature to this one, as they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and responsibilities.
References
Please use the references below to find more information on the various aspects of this occupation:
Occupations in Alberta: “Biomedical Engineer.” (March 31, 2018). ALIS website - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
Education, Training & Library: “Postsecondary Teachers.” (September 13, 2019). Occupational Outlook Handbook - United States Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
Resources For Scientists: “Bioethics.” David B. Resnik (February 26, 2019). National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences website. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
Profession: “'Bioethicists' Proliferate Despite Undefined Career Track.” Eugene Russo (Apr 12, 1999). The Scientist website. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
Scholarships for Becoming a Biomedical Ethics Researcher
Scholarships listed for majors that are relevant to working in this field can be found on our Biology Scholarships and Philosophy Scholarships pages.
Relevant University Majors
Studying one of the university majors listed below is an excellent starting point to becoming a biomedical ethics researcher. Click on the links to find out what else you can do with these majors!
