L’EMbeDS DS^3: Trajectories and collaboration in the knowledge space - with Giorgio Tripodi

The DS3 organizing group, alongside the L'EMbeDS Department of Excellence of the Sant'Anna School for Advanced Studies, is launching a new online seminars series devoted to frontier research in data science, its applications and its implications across disciplines. 

The L'EMbeDS Data Science Seminar Series (L'EMbeDS DS3) hosts national and international scholars to discuss cutting-edge methodology, applications in economics, the social sciences -- and beyond, societal implications and governance issues.

For announcements and further information please visit our web page and join our Google Group.

The second seminar will feature Giorgio Tripodi (Northwestern University), who will present a talk entitled: “Trajectories and collaboration in the knowledge space”

ABSTRACT: 

Scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs do not emerge in a vacuum. They are developed by individuals who follow heterogeneous career paths, engage in collaborations, and make strategic choices. Understanding scientists’ research trajectories is, therefore, a first step toward uncovering the hidden sources of creativity and innovation. In the US academic system, few institutions are more consequential than tenure. Tenure may serve as a selection mechanism (screening in high-output researchers), a dynamic incentive mechanism (stimulating pre-tenure productivity but dampening post-tenure output), and a creative search mechanism (enabling higher-risk exploration). 

To test these possibilities, we integrate data from seven sources to trace more than 12,000 faculty members across 15 disciplines. The analysis shows that publication rates rise sharply during the tenure track, peaking just before tenure. Post-tenure, however, trajectories diverge: lab-based fields sustain high output, while non-lab-based fields typically decline. Across fields, tenured faculty pursue more novel work but produce fewer highly cited papers. 

In addition, preliminary results highlight how scientific team structures and leadership roles shape collaboration outcomes and how individuals can remain productive and impactful in later career stages. Together, these findings underscore how institutional settings can influence the rate and direction of innovation, with implications for individual scholars, universities, and funding agencies.