—NUTSHELL:
Scientific research and development services are key to U.S. innovation and progress. As you’ll discover, though, it takes more than scientists to develop new concepts and products for the 21st century and beyond.

—SNIPPET:
Creating supercomputers out of tiny nanotubes. Identifying how proteins regulate activity in plant cells. Developing next year's hottest cars. Workers in the scientific research and development services industry create today the technologies that will change the way people live and work in the future.

Workers in the scientific research and development services industry include scientists and engineers, of course. But the industry also includes managers, accountants, people who interview test subjects, and many other workers in a range of occupations. 

This article describes the scientific research and development services industry: its organization, occupations, benefits and drawbacks for workers, job outlook, training requirements, and advancement opportunities.

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