Advances in clinical medicine require effective translational research. Ideally, this research will be performed by multidisciplinary teams that include both physicians and basic scientists. However, the current system does not appropriately train either physicians or basic scientists for these careers. In addition, translational researchers are often not properly rewarded, and this creates a disincentive for pursuing this kind of research. The roles and challenges for physicians and basic researchers in the field of translational research are discussed along with proposed solutions for improving their recruitment, training, and retention. Cancer 2014. © 2014 American Cancer Society.