 Abstract research for health and development, R4HD, recognizes that many of the determinants of health are not confined to the health care system. The size and quality of the health and care workforce, HCWF, are key drivers toward the future trajectory of these factors. We view researchers for health and development as an integral yet often overlooked component of this workforce. This diverse group spans multiple professions and sectors, making it difficult to define and categorize. The complex nature of their labor markets, lack of standardization in occupational categories, the gendered aspects of the labor market, and the varying demographics, epidemiology, socioeconomic statuses, and health systems contexts in both the global south and north all contribute to a fragmented understanding of the health research workforce. As a result, this workforce has been largely ignored by science and health policy makers, creating an often subset of the HCWF. Using the health researchers' labor market can help us identify ways to develop, retain, and utilize this workforce, including addressing size, composition, role, skill transferability, career paths, and more. This thematic series. This article was authored by Paulo Ferreño, Michael McCanga, Shabnam Saffraz, and others. We are article.tv, links in the description below.