Dashun Wang, a professor at Northwestern University, has received the 2026 Lagrange Prize – Fondazione CRT, an international award for research into complex systems and data. The prize was established by Fondazione CRT and is coordinated by the ISI Foundation.
Trained as a physicist, Wang studies the “Science of science”: using large collections of publications, patents and career records to investigate how discoveries emerge. His work includes research on “hot streaks,” periods of unusual creativity and success in the careers of scientists, artists and film directors. His findings indicate that about 90% of scientists experience at least one such period.
Wang’s research also points to differences between team sizes: small groups more often produce disruptive ideas, while larger teams are more effective at developing existing knowledge. “If we fund only large groups, there may eventually be fewer new ideas to build on,” he said.
His recent work has examined artificial intelligence. A study published in PNAS found that research proposals with stronger signs of AI use were more likely to receive funding from the US National Institutes of Health, but also tended to resemble projects that had already been funded. Wang said the risk of science becoming more conformist was real, adding that the key question was how AI is used and what researchers reward when using it.
Wang described receiving the prize as a great honour and emphasized the collective nature of scientific work, thanking students, colleagues, mentors and collaborators. ISI Foundation president Alessandro Vespignani said Wang’s research highlights how innovation depends on an ecosystem of networks, institutions and funding. Fondazione CRT president Anna Maria Poggi stressed the importance of using AI to expand knowledge while protecting originality and academic freedom.
Sources: ANSA Cultura.