Clarivate | Research Leader: February 2026
This edition spotlights Highly Cited Researchers 2025 and the people, institutions and trends shaping global research influence. We highlight new insights from the Institute for Scientific Information, including an updated decade-long dashboard of Highly Cited Researchers, a deep dive into the top 70 institutions driving citation impact worldwide, and a feature on researchers with long-term staying power.
You’ll also find coverage on responsible metrics in assessment and a round-up of how universities around the world are celebrating their Highly Cited Researchers 2025.
Highly Cited Researchers: Key trends 2015-2025
Explore a decade of data-driven insights into the world’s most influential researchers with our interactive dashboard. Last year, the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) released an interactive visualization highlighting trends in the Highly Cited Researchers lists from 2014 to 2024. Following strong engagement from the academic community, we created an updated version incorporating data from the 2015-2025 lists.
Key visualizations include:
- Number and share of Highly Cited Researcher awards by country/region and category
- Number of Highly Cited Researcher awards and rank per year by country/region
- Number of Highly Cited Researcher awards per corresponding author by country/region and category
Research powerhouses: The top 70 institutions home to Highly Cited Researchers (2021-2025)
The latest analysis identifies the 70 top research institutions worldwide most frequently home to Highly Cited Researchers over the last five years, showing where research impact is most concentrated. The top 21 institutions account for 23.2% of all Highly Cited Researcher awards.
Such concentration, though remarkable, reflects the scale and capacity of these institutions. They are large research systems that provide education, infrastructure, and sustained investment. They attract top researchers, teachers, and trainees, which in turn strengthens their leadership position and creates a reinforcing cycle of excellence.
A scientific elite: Highly Cited Researchers with staying power, 2014-2024
Last year, we analyzed the individuals who have been named to the Highly Cited Researchers list every year from 2014 – when the current methodology for identifying top-performing papers was introduced – through 2024.
The analysis identified 405 researchers with remarkable publication and citation staying power, whose research has had a consistent and enduring influence on their fields.
The renewed case for metrics in assessment
In a Research Professional News piece, Giovanni Abramo, a professor at Universitas Mercatorum - University of Italian Chambers of Commerce in Rome, highlights how responsible metrics continue to support fair and transparent research assessment. While narrative evaluation and expert review remain foundational, well-governed indicators add scale, consistency and comparability. They help institutions understand performance across disciplines, identify strengths, track progress and inform strategic decisions.
The debate between peer review and bibliometrics is too often framed as a battle. It should instead be about balance and intelligent use. - Giovanni Abramo, Universitas Mercatorum in Rome
As more regions revise national and institutional assessment frameworks, the responsible use of metrics—paired with qualitative evaluation—remains central to building systems that reward meaningful contributions and support long-term research quality.
Institutional recognition of Highly Cited Researchers 2025
Universities worldwide have been celebrating researchers named to the Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list, emphasizing their contributions to advancing knowledge and strengthening institutional reputation.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recognized 35 researchers across diverse fields, underscoring the breadth of scholarship and collaborative culture supporting high-impact work.
- University of Manchester highlighted 10 researchers whose contributions span materials science, social sciences and medicine, noting how interdisciplinary environments support discovery.
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology celebrated 12 researchers across science and engineering and emphasized the university’s momentum in areas such as computation and sustainability.
- Duke University showcased researchers whose work shapes global health, biomedical innovation and policy, demonstrating the institution’s commitment to high-impact, translational research.
- The University of Melbourne spotlights 33 of its researchers across a diverse range of fields and disciplines, including environment and ecology, psychiatry and psychology, social sciences, and clinical medicine.
Together, these institutional stories show how Highly Cited Researchers 2025 contribute to an ecosystem of research excellence—driving influential scholarship, attracting new talent and supporting research communities around the world.
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