A look at where government physicists work and what they do, with a focus on recent physics graduates.

The Research Associateship Programs support 20 federal agencies and more than 1500 research projects.

A grassroots network led by early-career scientists offers new pathways to policy careers.

Physics careers are often spoken of as a binary—academia or industry. But the public sector offers many rewarding careers: national lab researcher, patent examiner, policy adviser, and more. This year Physics Today highlights physicists’ opportunities and experiences in government.

Physicists and physical scientists are uniquely suited to determine whether to award patents for novel technologies.

Whether you simply take advantage of the member benefits or also volunteer for leadership positions, joining a society can help advance your career.

Pursuing a professorship doesn’t have to be the default career choice.

The engagement inspired by the June 2020 call for action in academia has blossomed into change-promoting groups that the bridge program’s scholars both participate in and lead.

The former NASA physicist’s experiences in the laboratory inspired her and colleagues to develop versatile instruments for the research community.

Taking on additional responsibilities can yield professional benefits, but it’s important to select opportunities carefully to avoid burnout.

If used effectively, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can help you achieve your professional goals.

Leaving the academic track to work at a fledgling company is a risky career move. But it offered this optical scientist a chance to pursue many of his career goals.

New and returning students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, have faced pandemic-related challenges. Departments can take steps to support them during this academic year.

Taking time to identify the valuable skills you have developed throughout your educational and professional career can help open up additional career opportunities.

To meet future research and workforce demands, the physics community needs to embrace the challenge of educating students with diverse educational backgrounds.

A new quantitative study finds a correlation between physicists who change areas of research and their scientific impact as measured by citations.

A welcoming environment, multidisciplinarity, and a critical mass of women at least partly explain the numbers.

The pandemic has increased stress and decreased productivity in the sciences. Those impacts have fallen disproportionately on women.

The Women+ of Color Project aims to increase representation in STEM PhD programs in the face of a lack of support from academia.

Oxford College physicist Effrosyni Seitaridou explains how establishing a clear mission and offering research experiences and support systems helped grow and strengthen her department.