  A well established agenda on the research output, impact, and structure of
global scientific elites such as Nobel Prize laureates has generated interest
in the scientific elites from developing countries. This study deploys science
mapping techniques to provide a comprehensive analysis of the output, impact,
and structure of the Colombian scientific elite, i.e., researchers awarded with
the Alejandro Angel Escobar Foundation National Prize 1990 2020, known locally
as the Colombian Nobel. Findings showed that the Colombian scientific elite has
a broader agenda than indexing titles in internationally renowned bibliographic
databases. The Colombian scientific elite also showed positive growth, which is
an inverse trend compared with Nobel laureate productivity. There were no
noticeable changes in productivity and impact before and after receiving the
prize. Institutional collaboration within the Colombian scientific elite
displayed the highest betweenness (brokerage) role of world and local top-tier
universities. However, only two Colombian scientific elite members published an
article with two Nobel Prize laureates. Most of the research profiles reflected
the national output priorities, but were found to diverge from the national
focus in respect of strategic research capacities. This study also conducted a
productivity and impact comparison with Nobel Prize laureates in science and
economics by means of a stratified random sample 1990-2020 via the composite
indicator proposed by Ioannidis et al. The interleaving of the Colombian
scientific elite and Nobel Prize laureates, particularly between the 3rd and
2nd quartiles, enabled a more nuanced analysis of the local impact in the
global scientific landscape.
