What does this career entail?

You are likely to be supporting a scientific research programme in a research organisation, hospital or university department. This may involve contributing to a single research project over several months or years, or being a member of a team of biometricians supporting a range of projects. In the latter case, much of your work may involve short-term consultancy, giving advice to scientists on the design, analysis, interpretation or presentation of studies. Other work may be more long-term and lead to joint publication of research findings in the form of academic papers or technical reports. Development of statistical software or expert systems is a growing requirement for ensuring knowledge transfer to research users. Biological problems may require the development of innovative statistical methodology which is suitable for publication in statistics journals. There will be opportunities for attending national and international conferences to present your work and to learn from the work of fellow biometricians.

As you grow in experience, you are likely to play a greater role in setting objectives and designing projects. You may be part of a local committee assessing the feasibility of new studies. You will contribute to research grant proposals and may help coordinate multidisciplinary projects. Your expertise in a particular area of methodology can bring you into contact with many different fields of application, and open up new opportunities in your career.