These findings suggest that there is likely significant untapped potential in the scientific research community (Li et al., 2019), and a more thorough understanding of these dynamics may lead to institutional policies that improve the output of impactful scientific research over coming years. It is especially important for young and early researchers to understand the dynamics of the scientific research network and take the time to consider how the decisions they make regarding their collaborators and the communities they engage with may affect their structural position in the scientific research community and impact their future career impact.