International Collaborative Research Partnerships: Blending Science with Management and Diplomacy

Abstract

As globalization progressively connects and impacts the health of people across the world, collaborative research partnerships provide mutual advantages by sharing knowledge and resources to address locally and globally relevant scientific and public health questions. Partnerships undertaken for scientific research are similar to business collaborations in that they require attention to partner systems, whether local, international, political, academic, or non-academic. Scientists, like diplomats or entrepreneurs, are representatives of their field, culture, and country and become obligatory agents in health diplomacy. This role significantly influences current and future collaborations with not only the immediate partner but with other in country partners as well. Research partnerships need continuous evaluation of the collaboration's productivity, perspectives of all partners, and desired outcomes for success to avoid engaging in "research tourism", particularly in developing regions. International engagement is a cornerstone in addressing the impact of infectious diseases globally. Global partnerships are strategically aligned with national, partner and global health priorities and may be based on specific requests for assistance from the partnering country governments. Here we share experiences from select research collaborations to highlight principles that we have found key in building long-term relationships with collaborators and in meeting the aim to address scientific questions relevant to the host country and strategic global health initiatives.

Keywords: Clinical research; Collaboration; International; Partnership; Research diplomacy; Stakeholder.

Figure 1

Example of different stakeholders and their distance from a project. Distance from a project is represented by size of the circle. In this example, head of the department and staff and research subjects are the most internal stakeholders.

Figure 2

The Cultural Iceberg. Factors below the threshold of awareness can have tremendous impact on relationships amongst collaborators and consequently impact the research. Adapted from Cavusgil, Knight and Riesenberger [16].