Dr. Jason Owen-Smith is a Professor of Sociology and Research Professor in the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan, having received his Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Arizona. Jason’s work examines how complex networks among people and organizations shape knowledge-work and innovation. He is particularly interested in research universities and in the dynamics of scientific collaboration networks. Together with collaborators, Jason works on projects that examine the dynamics of high-technology industries, the public value of the research university, and the network organization of surgical care. Jason’s work makes use of large-scale administrative data to study fundamental process of network change and their effects in policy relevant domains.

Findings from this research have been published in outlets including Administrative Science Quarterly, the American Journal of Sociology, the American Sociological Review, Cell, Cell Stem Cell, Higher Education, JAMA Surgery, Management Science, Medical Care, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Methods, Organization Science, Research Policy, Science, and Social Studies of Science. Professor Owen-Smith is a co-founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Research on Innovation and Science (IRIS). He manages the activities of IRIS and is the liaison with future and current Member Institutions. In 2006, he received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Industries Studies Fellowship in Biotechnology. In 2008 he was awarded the University of Michigan’s Henry Russel Award, which recognizes mid-career faculty for exceptional scholarship and conspicuous teaching ability. In 2014 he was awarded the LSA Excellence in Teaching Award and the John Dewey Award by the college of Literature, Science and the Arts.

DIFA Workshop Presentation
Presentation Slides

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