• Importance of decolonizing research ethics in the UK and globally

• Tensions between ethical reflexivity and research governance frameworks

• Aims of the module: provide a platform for reflection and tools to navigate these tensions

• Acknowledging the epistemological system and avoiding ethnocentric assumptions

• Being sensitive to the identities and worldviews of researchers and participants

• Overcoming self-centered tendencies and recognizing power asymmetries

• Thinking reflexively about research team composition and credit allocation

• Obtaining informed consent in diverse contexts

  • Using local languages and avoiding jargon

  • Adapting consent processes to local norms (written, recorded, detailed notes)

• Demonstrating evidence of proper consent processes to funders

• PhD student did not follow funder guidelines on consent forms

• Suggestions:

  • Carefully read and follow the funder guidelines on consent

  • Use SOAS consent form template as a resource

• Researcher obtained sensitive data from African Union

• Suggestions:

  • Carefully consider data ownership and sharing rights with local partners

  • Ensure data use aligns with original consent and local laws

• Hiring early-career researchers raises similar ethical issues

• Discuss expectations, flexibility, and acknowledgment transparently

• Consider how identities of research personnel may impact local acceptance and data quality

• Funders expect egalitarian partnerships but provide little guidance on implementation

• Structural barriers often give UK-based PIs more decision-making power

• Communicate expectations transparently and provide co-design opportunities

  • Consider funding translation of contracts for local partners

Helps avoid issues proactively and demonstrates commitment to funders

Engaging with research governance framework constructively while prioritizing local interests

Structural Barriers to Egalitarian Partnerships

• Funders often require UK-based PIs, limiting opportunities for local partners to lead collaborative projects

• This gives UK-based PIs more decision-making power over project design and implementation

• The material power imbalance can extend to issues like intellectual property rights and publication credits

Strategies for More Equitable Partnerships

• Communicate expectations transparently with local partners and provide opportunities for co-design

• Consider translating contracts and agreements into local languages to ensure understanding

• Recognize that funders generally do not cover expenses for facilitating communication and collaboration between partners

• Researchers may need to invest time and resources to enable equitable partnership development

• Funders are increasingly expecting researchers to demonstrate how they are promoting fair and equitable partnerships

The UKRI report "Promoting Equitable and Fair Research Partnerships" highlights the systemic barriers that often give UK-based principal investigators more decision-making power and credit in collaborative research projects, even when the contribution of local partners is crucial. To address this, the report recommends that researchers communicate expectations transparently, provide opportunities for co-design, and consider translating contracts into local languages. However, it notes that funders generally do not cover the expenses involved in facilitating equitable partnerships, so researchers may need to invest their own resources in this area. Overall, funders are placing greater emphasis on demonstrating how research projects are promoting fair and egalitarian collaborations.

1. Structural barriers that often give UK-based PIs more decision-making power, such as funders requiring UK-based PIs and providing fewer opportunities for local partners to lead collaborative projects. This material power imbalance can extend to issues like intellectual property rights and publication credits.

2. Communicating expectations and parameters of the research project transparently to local partners and providing opportunities for co-design. Translating contracts into local languages can help ensure understanding, but funders generally do not cover the expenses involved in facilitating communication and collaboration between partners.

3. Justifying salaries for partners abroad according to local standards, which can be challenging where equivalent funding infrastructure is not in place. Researchers need to demonstrate locally appropriate salaries in other valid ways.

4. Navigating tensions between funder guidelines grounded in an industrialized society framework and the particularities of local contexts beyond their remit. Researchers need to effectively communicate to funders why culture-specific approaches are most suitable.

5. Monitoring and demonstrating that international partners are being reflexive and ethical about their research practices, while being sensitive to UK-based researchers' position in foreign societies. Local partners may insist on informal norms that are more culture-sensitive but do not align with funder expectations.

Overcoming these challenges requires researchers to invest time and resources into facilitating equitable partnerships, communicate transparently, provide opportunities for co-design, and demonstrate to funders how they are promoting fair collaborations that consider local contexts.

1. Communicate Expectations Transparently: Ensure that budget details, including specific rates and time commitments, are thoroughly discussed and agreed upon with partners early in the proposal development process. Avoid finalizing proposals too quickly, as this may not give partners enough time to engage with the budget.

2. Justify Salaries According to Local Standards: When budgeting for partner salaries abroad, justify the amounts according to what national research councils or local institutions would typically pay researchers of that level. This can be challenging where equivalent funding infrastructure is lacking, but researchers should demonstrate locally appropriate rates through other valid means.

3. Incorporate Time and Costs for Collaboration: Funders generally do not cover the expenses involved in facilitating communication and collaboration between partners. Researchers may need to invest their own resources in translation, travel, and other activities to enable equitable partnership development.

4. Be Prepared to Negotiate: Even when partners initially agree to a proposed budget, issues may arise later if they feel the salaries or other costs are not appropriate. Researchers should be prepared to negotiate reasonably with partners to resolve such concerns.

5. Maintain Transparency and Flexibility: Throughout the project, continue communicating transparently with partners about budget allocations and be open to adjusting the budget if circumstances change, while ensuring compliance with funder guidelines.

The key is to proactively engage partners in budget discussions, justify costs according to local contexts, and be willing to invest time and resources into enabling equitable collaborations, even if funders do not cover these expenses directly. Maintaining transparency and flexibility is crucial for navigating budget negotiations successfully.

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1. Document all budget discussions and agreements in writing, even if they are preliminary. Summarize key points in an email and share with partners to ensure there is a written record that all parties endorse.

2. Justify salaries for partners abroad according to what national research councils or local institutions would typically pay researchers of that level. Document the sources and rationale for these rates.

3. Incorporate the time and costs involved in facilitating communication and collaboration between partners, as funders generally do not cover these expenses. Document how you plan to fund translation, travel, and other activities to enable equitable partnership development.

4. Be prepared to negotiate reasonably with partners if issues arise, while ensuring compliance with funder guidelines. Document the negotiation process and final agreements.

5. Maintain transparency and flexibility throughout the project in communicating about budget allocations, and document any adjustments made to the budget if circumstances change.

6. Ensure all budget-related agreements with partners are recorded in writing, such as through email summaries that partners endorse. This creates a clear paper trail.

7. Consult with your local partners, local universities, and other SOAS researchers to determine appropriate payment rates for research assistants and document the sources you used.

The key is to proactively document all budget discussions and agreements in writing, justify costs according to local contexts, and maintain transparency with partners throughout the project. Careful documentation will help demonstrate to funders that you are promoting fair and equitable budget practices.