Despite advances in the representation of women, Black, Indigenous, and Asian researchers in research groups, diversity in scientific leadership in Brazil continues to face significant challenges, according to a study published in July in Scientometrics by researchers from several Brazilian universities and research institutes.

Coordinated by Tulio Chiarini, a researcher at the Center for Research in Science, Technology, and Society of the Institute for Applied Economic Research (CTS-Ipea), the team analyzed 2023 data from the Research Group Directory of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). Their aim was to assess diversity in scientific leadership and to examine whether—and how—it affects the ability of research teams in Brazil to establish external collaborations.

The researchers found that, in 2023, 75.6% of research group leaders in Brazil were white. Although forming the majority of the population, women held just 45.6% of leadership roles. This imbalance was even more pronounced in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, which remain dominated by white men.

The study also revealed that scientific teams with shared leadership were more likely to build external collaborations. Groups with two leaders established 19.8% more external partnerships than those led by a single individual—suggesting that the diversity of perspectives and division of responsibilities provided by collective leadership may enhance a team’s capacity to engage with external networks.

However, the data also show that the presence of women in research group leadership is associated with a 2.7% decrease in external collaborations. While modest, this difference is statistically significant and indicates that systemic barriers still hinder women’s access to collaboration networks and partnership opportunities.

“Previous studies show that women face greater obstacles in attaining leadership positions, accessing resources, and being recognized as legitimate collaborators, especially in fields traditionally dominated by men,” explains Chiarini. “In addition, female leaders tend to secure less funding and have lower visibility in academic networks—factors that directly impact their ability to collaborate.”