L'EMbeDS Data Science Seminar Series

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• Wednesday December 10 2025 (11AM ET - 5PM Rome time): Giorgio Tripodi, Northwestern University

  • Title: 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.

• Wednesday January 21 2026 (11AM ET - 5PM Rome time): Cory McCartan, Penn State University

• Wednesday February 4 2026 (11AM ET - 5PM Rome time): Tim Lenton, University of Exeter

• Wednesday March 4 2026 (11AM ET - 5PM Rome time): Sam Baugh, Penn State University