Is there a glass ceiling for highly cited scientists at the top of research universities?

ABSTRACT University leaders aim to protect, shape, and promote the missions of their institutions. I evaluated whether top highly cited scientists are likely to occupy these positions. Of the current leaders of 96 U.S. high research activity universities, only 6 presidents or chancellors were found among the 4009 U.S. scientists listed in the ISIHighlyCited.com database. Of the current leaders of 77 UK universities, only 2 vice‐chancellors were found among the 483 UK scientists listed in the same database. In a sample of 100 top‐cited clinical medicine scientists and 100 top‐cited biology and biochemistry scientists, only 1 and 1, respectively, had served at any time as president of a university. Among the leaders of 25 U.S. universities with the highest citation volumes, only 12 had doctoral degrees in life, natural, physical or computer sciences, and 5 of these 12 had a Hirsch citation index m < 1.0. The participation of highly cited scientists in the top leadership of universities is limited. This could have consequences for the research and overall mission of universities.—Ioannidis, J. P. A. Is there a glass ceiling for highly cited scientists at the top of research universities? FASEB J. 24, 4635–4638 (2010). www.fasebj.org