Research Productivity Research Articles

The COVID-19 pandemic and methodological constraints: Autoethnographic and prefigurative responses

While sets of constraints have become normalised in research production, the COVID-19 pandemic mandated shifts in research ontologies, epistemologies and methodologies. The society-wide, real-time experiment of the pandemic lockdowns constructed a set of prefigurative counterfactual contexts in which alternative structures and processes came to be, albeit briefly, normalised. Two examples illustrate the risks and opportunities that emerged. Firstly, the turn to autoethnography and creative methods offers a methodological challenge to the minoritisation of certain voices within the academy. Secondly, and more substantively, pivots in response to lockdowns offered glimpses of labour market inclusion best practice through the prefiguration of alternative workplace norms, suggesting the potential value of prefigurative counterfactuals as research method. Nevertheless, both methodological and substantive insights explored here in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic were mediated by technology which has the potential to reproduce embedded dominant epistemologies and ontologies.

Are Scientists Changing their Research Productivity Classes When They Move Up the Academic Ladder?

AbstractWe approach productivity in science in a longitudinal fashion: We track scientists’ careers over time, up to 40 years. We first allocate scientists to decile-based publishing productivity classes, from the bottom 10% to the top 10%. Then, we seek patterns of mobility between the classes in two career stages: assistant professorship and associate professorship. Our findings confirm that radically changing publishing productivity levels (upward or downward) almost never happens. Scientists with a very weak past track record in publications emerge as having marginal chances of becoming scientists with a very strong future track record across all science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) fields. Hence, our research shows a long-term character of careers in science, with one’s publishing productivity during the apprenticeship period of assistant professorship heavily influencing productivity during the more independent period of associate professorship. We use individual-level microdata on academic careers (from a national registry of scientists) and individual-level metadata on publications (from the Scopus raw dataset). Polish associate professors tend to be stuck in their productivity classes for years: High performers tend to remain high performers, and low performers tend to remain low performers over their careers. Logistic regression analysis powerfully supports our two-dimensional results. We examine all internationally visible Polish associate professors in five fields of science in STEMM fields (N = 4,165 with Nart = 71,841 articles).

Walnuts as functional food and nutraceutical: A bibliometric study of research trends on nutritional potential, phytochemistry and its health benefits

AimThis study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of English walnut (Juglans regia L.) using the Scopus database. This study has also attempted to explore walnut’s nutritional potential, phytochemistry, and functional properties for overall human health benefits. MethodologyThis study uses the R-Bibliometrics package software to explore the Scopus database from 2002 to 2021. The keywords used are “Walnut” OR “Juglans regia” OR “Nutritional Potential” OR “Functional Food” OR “Phytochemistry” OR “Human health”. ResultsThe global trends and bibliometric analysis of walnut from 2002–2021 found that there was a total of 9868 documents indexed in 3151 Scopus-indexed sources. The agricultural and biological sciences recorded the maximum net publication, while the dentistry field recorded the minimum. Countries like China and the United States were the major funding sources, having the maximum net publications all over the globe. Upon analysing international collaboration, countries such as China, the USA, Italy, Iran, Spain, and the United Kingdom emerged as the world’s top collaborators. Maximum co-occurrences of the following keywords found are walnut, omega-3 fatty acid, Juglans regia, and walnut food. The most productive journals in walnut research recorded according to Bradford Law, the most productive walnut research journals were Acta Horticulture, Food Chemistry, Plant Diseases, Journal of Agricultural Hortiscience, Scientia Horticultureae, Nutrients, Molecules, PloS One, and Journal of Ethnopharmacology. People around the world use walnuts in a variety of foods and consider them an integral part of their diets. Walnut contains a variety of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, alkaloids, and juglone, as well as nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, which make it a functional food for humans. Walnuts are much more than just a culinary item in traditional foods; they can provide a variety of human health benefits. ConclusionsThis study attempted to conduct a bibliometric analysis to analyze global trends and research productivity of walnut as a functional food in terms of phytochemistry, nutritional potential, and human health benefits. This study will help to identify the research gap, offer opportunities for multidisciplinary research, and present a novel visualisation map for walnut research. This study declared walnut a functional food for the future.

Implementing a multidimensional faculty promotion matrix at Saint George University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine

This paper outlines the development and implementation of a multidimensional faculty promotion matrix at Saint George University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine (SGUB FM). The matrix, designed to provide a comprehensive and equitable evaluation of faculty across multiple dimensions, is anchored in six pillars: Research, Clinical Practice, Teaching Effort, Administrative Effort, Community Work, and Extra Degrees and Awards. These pillars encompass diverse components, including publication output, clinical activities, teaching responsibilities, administrative roles, community engagement, and additional qualifications, with each metric normalized using z-scores for fair comparison. This matrix analyzed the CVs and relevant documents of 112 faculty members, demonstrating its efficacy in providing equitable evaluation regardless of gender or rank. The results showed no significant differences in promotion rates among various faculty ranks, highlighting the matrix’s fairness and impartiality. The study also explores the relationship between faculty ranks and various performance metrics, revealing patterns in research productivity, clinical practice, and community engagement that escalate with higher academic ranks. SGUB FM's approach aligns its curricular designs and instructional implementations with international benchmarks, particularly those set by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), ensuring global standard compliance while catering to the institution's unique context. The matrix serves not only as an evaluation tool but also as a catalyst for faculty excellence and professional development. This case study offers valuable insights for medical institutions developing inclusive promotion criteria and emphasizes the importance of holistic evaluation frameworks in fostering academic excellence and professional growth.

Influence of Polytetrafluoroethylene Content, Compaction Pressure, and Annealing Treatment on the Magnetic Properties of Iron-Based Soft Magnetic Composites.

To improve the magnetic properties of iron-based soft magnetic composites (SMCs), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with excellent heat resistance, electrical insulation, and extremely high electrical resistivity was chosen as an insulating coating material for the preparation of iron-based SMCs. The effects of PTFE content, compaction pressure, and annealing treatment on the magnetic properties of Fe/PTFE SMCs were investigated in detail. The results demonstrate that the PTFE insulating layer is successfully coated on the surface of iron powders, which effectively reduces the core loss, increases the resistivity, and improves the frequency stability and the quality factor. Under the combined effect of optimal PTFE content, compaction pressure, and annealing treatment, the iron-based SMCs exhibit a high effective permeability of 56, high saturation magnetization of 192.9 emu/g, and low total core losses of 355 mW/cm3 and 1705 mW/cm3 at 50 kHz for Bm = 50 mT and 100 mT. This work provides a novel insulating coating layer that optimizes magnetic properties and is advantageous for the development of iron-based SMCs. In addition, it also provides a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between process parameters and magnetic properties, which is of great guiding significance for scientific research and industrial production.

High throughput screening for SARS-CoV-2 helicase inhibitors

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for nearly 7 million deaths worldwide since its outbreak in late 2019. Even with the rapid development and production of vaccines and intensive research, there is still a huge need for specific anti-viral drugs that address the rapidly arising new variants. To address this concern, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) established nine Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers, tasked with exploring approaches to target pathogens with pandemic potential, including SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we sought inhibitors of SARS-CoV2 non-structural protein 13 (nsP13) as potential antivirals, first developing a HTS-compatible assay to measure SARS-CoV2 nsP13 helicase activity. Here we present our effort in implementing the assay in a 1,536 well-plate format and in identifying nsP13 inhibitor hit compounds from a ∼650,000 compound library. The primary screen was robust (average Z’ = 0.86 ± 0.05) and resulted in 7,009 primary hits. 1,763 of these compounds upon repeated retests were further confirmed, showing consistent inhibition. Following in-silico analysis, an additional orthogonal assay and titration assays, we identified 674 compounds with IC50 <10 μM. We confirmed activity of independent compound batches from de novo powders while also incorporating multiple counterscreen assays. Our study highlights the potential of this assay for use on HTS platforms to discover novel compounds inhibiting SARS-CoV2 nsP13, which merit further development as an effective SARS-CoV2 antiviral.

Scientific Production Dynamics in mHealth for Diabetes: Scientometric Analysis.

The widespread use of mobile technologies in health care (mobile health; mHealth) has facilitated disease management, especially for chronic illnesses such as diabetes. mHealth for diabetes is an attractive alternative to reduce costs and overcome geographical and temporal barriers to improve patients' conditions. This study aims to reveal the dynamics of scientific publications on mHealth for diabetes to gain insights into who are the most prominent authors, countries, institutions, and journals and what are the most cited documents and current hot spots. A scientometric analysis based on a competitive technology intelligence methodology was conducted. An innovative 8-step methodology supported by experts was executed considering scientific documents published between 1998 and 2021 in the Science Citation Index Expanded database. Publication language, publication output characteristics, journals, countries and institutions, authors, and most cited and most impactful articles were identified. The insights obtained show that a total of 1574 scientific articles were published by 7922 authors from 90 countries, with an average of 15 (SD 38) citations and 6.5 (SD 4.4) authors per article. These documents were published in 491 journals and 92 Web of Science categories. The most productive country was the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, China, Australia, and South Korea, and the top 3 most productive institutions came from the United States, whereas the top 3 most cited articles were published in 2016, 2009, and 2017 and the top 3 most impactful articles were published in 2016 and 2017. This approach provides a comprehensive knowledge panorama of research productivity in mHealth for diabetes, identifying new insights and opportunities for research and development and innovation, including collaboration with other entities, new areas of specialization, and human resource development. The findings obtained are useful for decision-making in policy planning, resource allocation, and identification of research opportunities, benefiting researchers, health professionals, and decision makers in their efforts to make significant contributions to the advancement of diabetes science.

Careers in Skull Base and Open Cerebrovascular Surgery: Factors Associated with Academic Job Placement

Abstract Introduction Fellowship training has become increasingly sought after by neurosurgeons aiming for academic careers over the last two decades. This study assesses American Board of Neurological Surgeons board-certified neurosurgeons specializing in skull base or open cerebrovascular surgery between 2013 and 2023, focusing on identifying academic career predictors through demographic and academic outputs. Methods The study utilized the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Neurosurgical Fellowship Training Program Directory to identify neurosurgeons certified from 2013 to 2023, gathering demographic details and academic productivity from Scopus. Results Among 173 neurosurgeons, 87.86% were male, 36.36% were graduates from top 40 National Institutes of Health-funded medical schools, and 49.42% completed their residency in highly ranked departments. In univariate analysis, predictors for an academic career included publishing in the field before residency (p = 0.03054), a higher h-index before and after residency (p = 0.03976 and 0.0003101), and increased publication volume during and up to 3 years post-fellowship (2.284e-06). Multivariate analysis found that publication volume during and up to 3 years post-fellowship (odds ratio [OR] = 4.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.07–11.9, p = 0.0003) and basic science publications (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.05–5.49, p = 0.038) were the most significant predictors of academic career placement. Conclusion The study underscores the strong link between the academic career success of neurosurgeons trained in skull base and open cerebrovascular surgery and their research productivity, particularly publication volume during key career stages and involvement in basic science research. This highlight sustained research activity as a critical determinant of academic career achievement, surpassing the influence of training institution prestige.

Outstanding scholar as dean: the impact of dean academic achievements on school research output

ABSTRACT In recent years, China emerged as one of the world’s largest producers of academic research papers contributing massively to national and international journals annually. This prolific output serves as evidence to the dedicated efforts of Chinese universities to foster research activities among their teaching staff. However, the role of academic leaders, particularly that of school deans, on research productivity within these institutions remains an important and unresolved question. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the academic achievements of deans on the research output of business schools of China prestigious 985/211project universities. For this purpose, we manually collected data on the deans of business schools of 985/211 project universities from 2000 to 2018 as well as data on published research papers by each school. Empirical results show that during the tenure of an ‘academic dean’, the average number of papers published by business schools increased by about 10.6% annually. After being converted into standard ‘Economic Research Journal’ articles, this effect increased by as much as 28%. The above results are robust with several different model specifications and definitions for academic deans. Our research findings hold significant policy implications, not only for China's education system but extends to various knowledge-intensive institutions, such as hospitals, research labs, and consultancy organizations.

Mapping the research landscape of social capital and resilience: A bibliometric analysis

This study investigates the connection between social capital and resilience by conducting a bibliometric analysis of the relevant literature between 1994 and 2024. Social capital, comprising networks, norms, and beliefs that foster coordination and cooperation, and resilience, which refers to the capacity of individuals and communities to adjust and recuperate from stressors and calamities, are two notions gaining prominence in diverse fields of study. Data from 1697 documents showed a significant increase in annual publications, with an average growth of 17.65%. Scientific articles dominate the document types and demonstrate high research productivity. Principal researchers such as Aldrich DP, Liu Y, and Fraser T have contributed significantly to this field, while journals such as the "International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction" and "Sustainability (Switzerland)" have become the main sources of publications. The research investigation uncovered themes, such as adaptability, psychological and social resilience, and sustainability, as the main focus areas. The thematic map illustrates that "social capital" and "resilience" are the cornerstone of the research, and the topic trends reveal a substantial level of interest in the pandemic, mental health, and disaster resilience. Co-occurrence and cocitation networks confirm the pivotal role of social capital in various contexts of resilience and adjustment. This study has benefited greatly from significant international collaborations between countries such as the United States, Europe, and Asia. This study highlights the significance of social capital and resilience in tackling global challenges, including climate change, natural disasters, economic crises, and COVID-19 pandemic. The practical applications of this research involve the creation of policies and interventions that enhance social networks and the adaptive capabilities of communities. Future research is encouraged to broaden its geographical and socioeconomic range, adopt an interdisciplinary methodology, and involve communities in a participatory manner to enhance the relevance and sustainability of the research outcomes.

Structural health monitoring on seismic loading in buildings

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a process of using various sensors and technologies to assess the condition of a structure continuously or periodically. In the context of seismic loading on buildings, SHM becomes particularly crucial for ensuring the structural integrity and safety of the building during and after seismic events. This bibliometric review's goal is to provide a thorough analysis of the (SHM) unveiling its development, present patterns, and potential future paths. The approach entails a meticulous bibliometric examination of research productivity from the establishment of the subject in 1968. Highlighting significant milestones and charting trends in research. Research indicates a steady increase in SHM under seismic load on over 112 yearly papers demonstrate construction research, with main contributions from the US and Italy. The report also shows how SHM is being used more in construction, supported by sensor research.This review's originality lies in its thorough overview of SHM research, revealing historical and current trends and suggesting future study fields. This provides a solid platform for future research, promoting expansion in this promising sector.

Research productivity and citation impact of Nigerian academic pharmacists: A cross-sectional study

Research productivity and citation impact of Nigerian academic pharmacists: A cross-sectional study

Evaluating Research Activity and NIH-Funding Among Academic Ophthalmologists Using Relative Citation Ratio

ABSTRACT Purpose The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between research activity and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding status of the United States (US) academic ophthalmologists. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of bibliometric data was conducted. The NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools Expenditures and Reports (rePORTER) website was utilized to identify ophthalmology departments in the US that received NIH funding. Affiliated faculty from these institutions were then identified using NIH rePORTER and institutional websites. H-index was calculated using the Scopus database, and the NIH iCite tool was used to determine the Relative Citation Ratio (RCR). The h-index and w-RCR quantified research productivity, while m-RCR measured research impact. Results Data on 2688 faculty members from 66 departments we re identified, of which 21% were NIH-funded. Faculty members who received NIH-funding had significantly greater research productivity and impact as measured by h-index (32.5 vs 16.6; p < .001), m-RCR (2.2 vs 1.6; p < .001), and w-RCR (147.2 vs 70.1; p < .001) than their non-funded peers. When stratified by academic rank, NIH-funded faculty still had significantly higher h-index (16.1 vs 7.9; p < .001), m-RCR (2.2 vs 1.4; p < .001), and w-RCR (63.2 vs 61.8; p < .001) than non-funded peers. A similar trend was observed among non-tenured faculty members. Conclusion NIH funding is associated with higher research productivity and impact among US academic ophthalmologists as measured by h-index and RCR, which suggests that NIH funding may be a critical factor in enhancing scholarly contributions of ophthalmologists. These findings underscore the importance of continued investment in NIH funding to foster high-impact research within the field of ophthalmology.

Research attitude, motivation, and productivity of university teachers in China: Basis for an enhanced research development plan

Research attitude, motivation, and productivity of university teachers in China: Basis for an enhanced research development plan

Generative AI: Is Authentic Qualitative Research Data Collection Possible?

With the advent of readily accessible generative artificial intelligence (GAI), a concern exists within the academic community that research data collected in the context of conducting doctoral dissertation research is authentic. The purpose of the present study was to explore the role of GAI in the production of new research paying particular attention to the use of GAI in collecting new data for a doctoral dissertation. This study employed qualitative methodology examining how GAI, specifically ChatGPT, responded to interview questions from a previously published article by the researchers to determine how closely chatbots mimic responses from the actual study participants. The researchers found that data integrity in qualitative research may be at risk if higher education institutions do not set clear policies and specific parameters for how doctoral research data is obtained and validated in light of GAI.

The emergence of a tailored multidimensional model for evaluating efficiency in teaching hospitals: main challenges and proposition of a theoretical framework

Background: Teaching hospitals serve as training grounds for students and residents across various specialties, while also providing more complex healthcare services that contribute to research production and advancements in health technologies. Considering all their functions, the efficiency evaluation of these institutions warrants special attention in the literature. This study aims to review the existing literature, identify the main challenges faced by previous studies, and establish new guidelines to address flaws in models assessing teaching hospitals' efficiency. Methods: An integrative review was conducted across five major databases: Springer Link, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Inderscience. The search yielded 384 records, and after removing duplicates and following PRISMA guidelines, 28 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. Results: The review reveals a scarcity of evaluation models specifically tailored to teaching hospitals. Data envelopment analysis is the most frequently used method in this field but exhibits several weaknesses. Key challenges identified include the lack of literature on the positive relationship between increased inputs and quality, proving the reliability of DEA, addressing its limitations in handling numerous input and output variables, improving communication with hospital managers, refining the categorization of healthcare professionals, and enhancing the understanding of productivity differences between medical residents and senior physicians. Conclusions: We propose a theoretical framework to guide future studies on the efficiency assessment of teaching hospitals, emphasizing the need for a multidimensional approach. This model should incorporate economic-financial, quality, and educational dimensions, alongside commonly applied dimensions such as healthcare, staff, and physical and technological infrastructure. Moreover, the challenges pointed out based on the integrative review suggest a rich agenda for upcoming studies, encourage the development of management tools to assess efficiency in teaching hospitals and contribute to formulating an agenda to orient public policies related to efficient resource management in teaching hospitals and educational and health systems.

Health Advocacy Trends and Unexplored Facets—A Bibliometric Analysis Based on SCOPUS Database

This study examines the concept of health advocacy and explores related scholarly material to understand its evolution from 1977 to 2021. The bibliometric analysis investigates the publication trends, most relevant authors, keywords-based clusters, research trends, author productivity, and future research areas in health advocacy. The relevant articles were extracted from the Scopus database and analyzed to identify and explore the most active authors, author-wise contribution to the sources, sub-research topics, core sources, top authors’ production over time, global cited documents, thematic maps, word cloud, country-wise collaboration network and map, author keywords-based network, historiograph, and spectroscope. The study finds that health advocacy as a concept is under-explored and thus warrants a need for future research work. Limited authors have contributed to this theme, and the continuity of publication needs to be improved. The study highlights that there needs to be a robust framework to assess, evaluate, and implement health advocacy. The researchers are limited to only a few authors who have published in limited journals. The current study brings out the need for research and publications on health advocacy to develop a framework for assessing and implementing health advocacy. Also, the study highlights emerging themes of Coronavirus pandemic and emergency and disaster preparation. The niche themes that emerged during the survey highlight keywords such as agenda-setting and maternal health.

An Online Model for Neurosurgical Research in Developing Countries: A One-Year Experience in Mexico and Latin America

Mexico is under-represented in global neurosurgical research. High-income countries represent roughly 10% of the world's population but utilize about 90% of the research funding for medical research, highlighting the need for promoting research initiatives in low- and middle-income countries. We present an online-based research initiative in Mexico that aims to reduce the research gap in neurosurgery. Implemented in early 2023, our online-based research initiative included weekly modules covering study types, statistical analysis, meta-analysis, and scientific writing. The first cohort of 22 students completed the 12-week program and then served as tutors for subsequent cohorts. The research model was promoted via word of mouth and social media platforms to medical students, graduates, and specialists across Latin America. Post-program, tutors and the author conducted weekly planning sessions to assist with project planning, analysis, and article writing. From 833 registrations, over 800 students completed at least 1 training module. The program published 7 articles and presented 12 abstracts at major international neurosurgical meetings. We performed a bibliographic analysis in PubMed and found that from 2021 to 2022, 33,637 neurosurgical articles were published, with 197 involving collaboration from Mexico (0.5%). From 2023 to 2024, 24,121 articles were published, with 205 involving collaboration from Mexico (0.8%), a significant increase (P < 0.001). Our collaboration contributed to 3.4% of these, representing a significant addition in 2023-2024 (P= 0.026). This online-based neurosurgical model contributed to 3.4% of the neurosurgical research productivity in Mexico. Our findings suggest that this model can effectively bridge the research gap and enhance scientific contributions in developing countries.

Will they always be living the Sisyphus punishment? The triple whammy for racialized women: a qualitative investigation of primary care researchers in Canada

Existing literature overlooks the role of gender and race on research productivity, particularly in the context of primary care research. This study examines how gender and race influence the research productivity of primary care researchers in Canada, addressing a gap in existing literature. Qualitative, descriptive methods were used, involving 60-min interviews with 23 Canadian primary care researchers. 13 participants were female (57%) and 10 participants (43%) were male. Fourteen participants were White (non-racialized; 61%), 8 were racialized (35%) and 1 did not comment on race (4%). Reflexive thematic analysis captured participant perceptions of factors influencing research productivity, including individual, professional, institutional, and systemic aspects. Systemic bias and institutional culture, including racism, sexism, and unconscious biases against racialized women, emerge as key barriers to research productivity. The parenting life stage further compounds these biases. Barriers include lack of representation in faculty roles, toxic work environments, research productivity metrics, and exclusion by colleagues. Participants indicated that institutional reforms and systemic interventions are needed to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. Strategies include recruiting equity-focused leaders, increasing representation of racialized female faculty, diversity training, mentorship programs, providing meaningful support, flexible work arrangements, and protected research time. Sponsors can offer more targeted grants for female and racialized researchers. Adjusting metrics for gender, race, parenthood, and collaborative metrics is proposed to enhance diversity and inclusion among researchers. This study underscores the importance of addressing systemic bias at institutional and systemic levels to create a fair and supportive environment for primary care researchers. A multitude of strategies are needed including increasing representation of racialized female faculty, creating supportive and psychologically safe work environments, and public reporting of data on faculty composition for accreditation and funding decisions. Together, these strategies can alleviate the triple whammy and free these researchers from the Sisyphus Punishment - the absurdity of being asked to climb a hill while pushing a boulder with no hope of reaching the top. College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Empowering women in academia: navigating institutional dynamics, gender roles, and personal pursuits among female researchers in Norwegian higher education

ABSTRACT Numerous studies have documented the widespread marginalization of female scholars throughout their professional journeys in various societies. It has been noted that women in academia are not given the same opportunities as men when it comes to advancement into professorship, leadership roles, productivity in research, and salary. The personal pursuits and willingness of female researchers, including how they self-activated to negotiate with structural empowerment factors, have been largely ignored in literature. This article uses empowerment as an analytical lens to look at how career advancement and recognition of female researchers have been influenced by a mix of structural and individual factors. Empowerment is a motivating process that places power at the centre of its conception and results in increased competence, self-efficacy, self-confidence, self-esteem, and wellbeing. Therefore, empowerment is interpreted as cooperative and agreed-upon efforts by empowered agents to improve the career prospects of female researchers. This study explores the ways in which female researchers are empowered or disempowered as they advance in their careers, negotiating institutional policies and practices, gender roles, important relationships, and personal pursuits. Drawing upon interview data, this study intends to spark additional discussions and theoretical considerations on the intersections of gender, career advancement, and empowerment in higher education. It also asks for more culturally aware policy adjustments to empower female researchers inside the institution.