Research Collaboration Values
Collaboration with partners is fundamental to our research endeavour, to our pursuit of new knowledge, and to changing the world for the better. Only through partnership with organisations, researchers, communities and research participants around the world can we together advance discovery and tackle the most pressing societal challenges. Through equitable partnerships we create and sustain lasting networks and work with our collaborators to build capacity and a vibrant global research system.
Our approach to research collaboration and partnership is underpinned by five core values:
1. Pursuing bold and ambitious research to change the world for the better
We collaborate with others to pursue bold and ambitious research of exceptional quality and to advance knowledge and discovery. We work to increase the reach and significance of our research in order to address the greatest challenges facing society and have a positive impact on people around the world.
2. Maintaining independence and integrity
We maintain, in all our research collaborations, our commitment: to academic independence and academic freedom; to research excellence and the highest standards of research integrity; to appoint who we choose to work on our projects consistent with our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion; and to disseminate and use our research free from interference or undue influence, for the benefit of the public and in line with our charitable status.
3. Keeping our people, collaborators and research participants safe
We prioritise the safety and security of our researchers and all other staff and students, our collaborators, and research participants, enabling them to undertake their research and collaborations with confidence and in compliance with regulatory and legislative requirements.
4. Identifying and managing risks
In our collaborative work we identify and mitigate appropriately any risks relating to: reputational, political, ethical, legal and financial issues; the protection of our intellectual assets and our physical and cyber security; and our research or collaborations being used by governments or other organisations to undermine human rights.
5. Ensuring equitable collaboration and transparent recognition
We treat our collaborators and research participants equitably and with respect, ensuring to the fullest extent possible that the same ethical, research practice or other safeguards that apply to our work in the UK apply when we work anywhere in the world. We seek and develop deep and long-lasting partnerships, especially where our collaborations can contribute to greater capacity building in low and middle income countries. We ensure fair and equitable recognition of the contributions of all collaborators and the transparent acknowledgement of financial or other support for our research.