The internal dynamics and structure of collaborations affect the performance of its members and, ultimately, the success of the collaborative enterprise. This is tested under conditions of disruption, stressing team dynamics and their ability to succeed. Teams may adapt, employing social innovations which facilitate their ability to adjust to uncertain and changing circumstances. We examine these innovations within the context of international collaborative teams, specifically in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employs a mixed-methods, multi-country case study research design to identify successful teams’ characteristics and develop a typology of social innovations that can promote team resilience. The analysis focuses on individual, group, and organizational factors that contribute to teams’ adaptability, including adjustments in behaviors, expectations, work and resource allocation, and social interactions. Our study sheds light on how teams’ resilience capacity helps teams innovate their social dynamics and navigate external shocks and succeed in dynamic environments.

The international mobility of academic researchers is a topic of sustained scholarly and policy interest. International mobility has come to be seen as something of a ‘rite of passage’ for early career researchers. Many early career grants require international visits of significant duration. In many national science systems, access to tenured positions and/or mid-career support grants requires or values previous international experience. International mobility can thus be understood as an important contributing factor in the transition to independence in academic careers. This paper uses data from surveys of the mobility of European university researchers to consider the role of international scientific mobility (job changes and long stays) in the transition to career independence. Results suggest that whilst overall mobility appears to have a positive effect on competence acquisition and career progress, this finding varies according to epistemic (disciplinary) and institutional (national system) factors, and gender.