The classified pages of C&EN's Oct. 14 issue had a job advertisement topped by the heading "Chemical Terrorism: Response and Preparedness." Although postings such as this one from a Virginia state laboratory are still uncommon, they are likely to increase over the next few years.

	REUTERS PHOTO ARCHIVE

"The whole biodefense area is going to see an infusion of money that is on the same scale as when we declared war on cancer or the fight against AIDS," says Jill Trewhella, who heads the Bioscience Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory. "Biodefense appears to be the next grand challenge." What type of and how many job opportunities that buildup will create is hard to predict, she says, as the largest defense project, the proposed Department of Homeland Security, is still on the drawing board but nearing fruition.

At least one aspect of the federal response to the terrorism threat is already beginning to take shape, Trewhella points out. Last summer, the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID) invited interested institutions to apply to become regional biocontainment laboratories and research centers of excellence in biodefense and emerging infectious diseases.

With a roughly 60% increase in proposed funding for NIAID in 2003, the institute will be setting up those regional centers to design and develop the next generation of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic tools for biowarfare agents. Each center will also help support first-line responders in the event of a bioterrorist attack. The mission of the centers will be vast--ranging from basic science research to clinical testing, and from bioterrorist emergency response to "expanding the scope and range of research, investigators, and institutions involved in biodefense research," according to the request for applications issued in August.

Although very large budget increases for NIAID are likely in 2003, the majority of homeland security funding--including chemical defense money--will probably come later, says Duane Lindner, who manages Sandia National Laboratories' counterterrorism and force protection programs. "I fully expect that opportunities in this area will grow in 2004. It won't hit the 2003 budget," he says.

Actually, Lindner says, his programs at Sandia went through a hiring spurt in 2000, when much of the existing antiterrorism groundwork was laid.

The jobs in chemical terrorism posted by the Virginia state lab are funded by a grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention that the laboratory has had for the past four years. The openings are to fill existing positions, rather than expansions, explains Thomas York, director of analytical services for Virginia's Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services. "Last year, we received a large increase in bioterrorism funding support," York says. "We expect additional support in several of our chemistry areas in the coming year."

Certainly, chemists in the biosciences are needed in the fight against terrorism, says Carol Burns, deputy division director for chemistry at Los Alamos National Lab. But chemists in other specialties will be in demand as well. Analytical chemists, new materials scientists, and synthetic organic chemists, for example, will be needed to create new methods of detection and therapy in biological and chemical defense. Burns predicts that the importance of radiochemistry will be renewed. Though the radiochemistry training infrastructure has declined, this "is an area we can ill afford to lose in this country," she says.

York encourages chemists interested in public or environmental health jobs related to antiterrorism to familiarize themselves with environmental testing: air monitoring, soil-sediment sampling, heavy-metal detection, and hazardous waste and water testing. Experience with instruments such as gas chromatographs, high-pressure liquid chromatographs, and mass spectrometers will be needed, as well.

Those at Los Alamos stress that the biological and chemical defense effort needs multidisciplinary scientists: chemists who can cross boundaries. "I think the key is to not narrow yourself and be too stovepiped and specialized," Trewhella says.

Job opportunities for chemists in the fight against terrorism are growing. "I think this is really an important time for scientists and engineers to ask themselves how they can contribute," Burns says. "I know people who have changed jobs just to be in a position to help. People feel a renewed sense of why they became scientists in the first place: to solve problems."

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INTRODUCTION - EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK 2003

DEMAND

The year ahead is shaping up as even tougher than this one for those seeking employment in most fields of chemistry. Jobs are available, but the hunt is likely to be long and arduous.

WANTED
Scientists Needed To Help Secure The Homeland

BEYOND GRAD SCHOOL
When Jobs Are Scarce, Some Seek Postdocs

SALARIES & EMPLOYMENT

The unemployment rate for chemists climbed to 3.3% in 2002, the highest rate measured in more than 30 years' worth of ACS surveys. But for chemists already in the workforce, the salary situation remained quite strong.

WORKFORCE
Societies Look At Changing The Face Of Science & Engineering

THE INTERVIEW

Seasoned chemical industry recruiters describe what works and what does not, plus a list of tips for the interviewee.

HEALTH INSURANCE

What employees need to know about ensuring continued coverage when their employment status changes.

CAREER-PLANNING RESOURCES

A guide to sources of job and career information well suited to chemical scientists seeking industrial, academic, or government positions or looking to change careers. Some of the most comprehensive resources can be found at the American Chemical Society.

Chemical & Engineering News
Copyright © 2002 American Chemical Society