National Mobility and Career Performance of the Scientific Workforce in Colombia

Academic mobility plays a crucial role in fostering intellectual collaboration, knowledge transfer, and the internationalization of science. While existing research has extensively examined international scientific migration, national mobility, particularly in middle and low-income countries, remains underexplored. This study investigates the relationship between national mobility and career performance within Colombia’s scientific workforce, using unique data from national assessments conducted between 2013 and 2021. The analysis includes 12,084 researchers, with career trajectories evaluated using ordered probit regression models. Here, we show that mobility, defined as moving across municipalities, is not significantly associated with changes in researchers' career rankings. Instead, structural and individual factors, such as prior rank, institutional affiliations, and years of experience, emerge as the main drivers of career progression. Additionally, residing in large cities appears to negatively affect rankings, possibly due to intensified competition for resources and funding. These findings highlight the importance of cumulative advantage mechanisms and institutional dynamics over geographic mobility in shaping scientific careers. Future research should expand on this framework by incorporating institutional prestige and cross-country comparisons to better understand the nuanced interplay between mobility and academic performance.