Chongqing — Under the cool white lights of Jinfeng Laboratory in the Western (Chongqing) Science City, Wang Caihong carefully transfers tiny liquid samples with a micropipette, repeating a task she has performed thousands of times over the past four years.
The work may seem routine, but for Wang, the calluses on her fingertips tell the story of a career taking shape. This year, the former research assistant was admitted to a doctoral program, turning her first job after graduation into the next step toward becoming a scientist.
Wang Caihong, a research assistant with the Wang Yan research group at Jinfeng Laboratory, conducts an experiment. (Photo/Lei Jian)
As China's 2026 graduation season gets underway, nine government departments recently issued a joint notice calling for the expansion of research assistant positions to promote employment for 2026 university graduates. In Chongqing, the city's employment support plan for 2026 calls for providing more than 2,500 research assistant positions during the year.
The policy reflects a growing recognition that research assistant positions can serve not only as a bridge into the workforce but also as an important pathway for developing future scientific talent.
After earning a master's degree from the School of Bioengineering at Chongqing University in 2022, Wang faced a choice familiar to many graduates: continue directly to a doctoral program or begin working.
With doctoral admissions becoming increasingly competitive, she decided to gain practical research experience first. A Chongqing native, Wang joined the laboratory of Professor Wang Yan at Jinfeng Laboratory during the institution's recruitment drive that year.
The research team focuses on drug resistance and targeted therapy for glioma and breast cancer. As a research assistant, Wang conducted molecular biology and cell biology experiments while supporting research projects. She was also encouraged to pursue research questions independently, helping her strengthen both laboratory skills and scientific thinking.
"Four years of experience helped me understand more clearly what I wanted to pursue," Wang said. Last year, she applied to Professor Wang's doctoral program and was accepted. She will remain with the same research group as a doctoral student.
Luo Ran has followed a similar path.
After completing a master's degree in botany at Southwest University, Luo joined the Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica as a research assistant. During graduate school, she participated in a joint training program with researcher Li Longyun, an expert in China's national technical system for the Chinese medicinal materials industry, where she conducted research on medicinal plants, including Coptis and Epimedium.
Although she considered positions at pharmaceutical companies after graduation, Luo chose to remain in research.
"Working as a research assistant allows me to stay closer to academia, maintain my research skills and continue building research experience," she said.
She now focuses on testing and analyzing the chemical components of Chinese medicinal materials, is preparing academic papers for publication and plans to pursue doctoral studies.
Research assistants support a broad range of scientific work, including laboratory research, experimental technology, technology transfer, project coordination and research administration.
Driven by national policy, such positions have expanded steadily in recent years as universities, research institutes and high-tech companies seek to strengthen research capacity while creating employment opportunities for graduates.
Graduating students learn about employment opportunities at a job fair on the campus of Southwest University in Chongqing. (Photo/Qin Tingfu)
According to the Chongqing Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, the municipality had created 2,571 research assistant positions by August last year. Among them, 2,000 were established across four National High-tech Industrial Development Zones: Chongqing, Bishan, Rongchang and Yongchuan.
Despite growing demand, some graduates remain uncertain about the positions.
Tang Ying, a recent master's graduate from a university in Chongqing who asked to use a pseudonym, said she received an offer to be a research assistant but hesitated after hearing that the job offered limited career prospects and often involved administrative work, such as purchasing laboratory supplies, processing reimbursements, and organizing research documents.
Job responsibilities vary among employers. Some positions focus primarily on laboratory research and data analysis, while others emphasize project management, financial administration or intellectual property services.
An industry expert said graduates should evaluate research assistant positions based on their own career goals, noting that opportunities generally fall into either research-oriented or administrative roles.
For Wang, however, the position proved to be much more than temporary employment.
She said the experience strengthened not only her experimental techniques but also her patience, attention to detail, and perseverance, which are essential for scientific research. She recalled that a former research assistant in her laboratory spent more than four years conducting research before publishing a paper in a journal with an impact factor exceeding 30.
Qin Liang, a research assistant at an automotive software development company, said the role exposed him to cutting-edge technologies and reinforced his ambition to become a research and development engineer. He believes employers increasingly value analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities alongside academic knowledge.
Experts say research assistant positions have become an increasingly important part of China's research ecosystem as scientific work grows more specialized and collaborative. By taking on technical and administrative responsibilities, research assistants allow scientists to devote more time to research and innovation.
Compensation varies according to research funding and institutional resources. In Chongqing, newly graduated master's degree holders working as research assistants typically earn between 3,000 and 8,000 yuan (about $420 to $1,120) a month.
Under Chongqing's employment support plan, research assistants sign service agreements with employers and receive social insurance coverage as well as contributions to the Housing Provident Fund. Their pay must not fall below the local minimum wage.
Local universities are also expanding opportunities. Southwest University created 105 research assistant positions last year by drawing on national and provincial research platforms, projects under the National Key Research and Development Program, grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and industry-funded research initiatives.
Xu Liqun, deputy director at Southwest University, said the university will work with relevant departments to establish more research assistant positions in its Double First-Class disciplines while strengthening partnerships with high-tech companies to explore joint recruitment models that integrate industry, education and research.
As national and local governments continue expanding support, research assistant positions are increasingly evolving beyond a short-term employment option. For many graduates, these programs serve as a launchpad for academic careers while contributing to China's long-term scientific and technological development.