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Abstract This study examines the diversity of institutional human capital at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by analyzing faculty educational backgrounds using a large data set on faculty hiring and placement. The analysis includes approximately four thousand faculty members employed at 10 research-intensive R2 HBCUs between 2011 and 2020. The results reveal that the 10 R2 HBCUs primarily hired tenure-track faculty from predominantly White R1 institutions. In contrast, HBCUs hired approximately 20% of their own graduates, while less than 10% of hires came from other HBCUs. Regarding placement, about 60% of HBCU graduates sought employment at HBCUs, while only a small number found employment at R1 institutions. Notably, Howard University placed 30 graduates at R1 institutions. This downward placement pattern underscores a significant trend: most HBCU hires are from R1 institutions, while HBCU graduates primarily find employment at institutions with lower research intensity. Understanding these patterns is crucial for addressing disparities in faculty representation and supporting the growth of Black professionals in academia. 

Tenure is a cornerstone of the US academic system, yet its relationship to faculty research trajectories remains poorly understood. Conceptually, tenure systems may act as a selection mechanism, screening in high-output researchers; a dynamic incentive mechanism, encouraging high output prior to tenure but low output after tenure; and a creative search mechanism, encouraging tenured individuals to undertake high-risk work. Here, we integrate data from seven different sources to trace US tenure-line faculty and their research outputs at a remarkable scale and scope, covering over 12,000 researchers across 15 disciplines. Our analysis reveals that faculty publication rates typically increase sharply during the tenure track and peak just before obtaining tenure. Post-tenure trends, however, vary across disciplines: In lab-based fields, such as biology and chemistry, research output typically remains high post-tenure, whereas in non-lab-based fields, such as mathematics and sociology, research output typically declines substantially post-tenure. Turning to creative search, faculty increasingly produce novel, high-risk research after securing tenure. However, this shift toward novelty and risk-taking comes with a decline in impact, with post-tenure research yielding fewer highly cited papers. Comparing outcomes across common career ages but different tenure years or comparing research trajectories in tenure-based and non-tenure-based research settings underscores that breaks in the research trajectories are sharply tied to the individual’s tenure year. Overall, these findings provide an empirical basis for understanding the tenure system, individual research trajectories, and the shape of scientific output. *Note about Data: Please see Data Paper submitted in PAR entitled - "Supporting Information for Tenure and Research Trajectories" 

Abstract Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) play a foundational role in promoting equality in U.S. higher education and society. Studying faculty transitions and research dynamics at HBCUs is crucial to understanding and addressing these institutions’ challenges, such as the brain drain and its relationships with faculty research practices. By tracking the affiliation changes of 139 professors and their research outcomes (consisting of 4,269 publications) and comparing them with a matched control group with similar backgrounds, we revealed a moving penalty for professors moving from Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) to HBCUs, who experienced declines in research productivity and citation impact. In contrast, professors transitioning from HBCUs to PWIs benefited from the moving premium of increasing high-impact publications. Professors at HBCUs tend to increase their collaborations with PWIs before transitioning, while those moving to PWIs reduce their collaborations with HBCUs. Our findings highlight the ongoing challenges HBCUs face and underscore the need for comprehensive strategies to strengthen these institutions’ research functionality and ultimately their overall academic standing.