Research & Innovation Services

Areas to consider early in the grant development process:

• UofG Affiliation: Consider granting all collaborating researchers University of Glasgow affiliate status. This status grants researchers access to library services, software, and online training. Affiliate status is granted at the School level, so check with your School's professional services team for details about the process.

• Researcher Development Plan: Consider including the development of individual researcher development plans for team members into your capacity strengthening programme. 

• Development and capacity strengthening plan for collaborators and researchers working on international grants. Ensure that opportunities are not limited to academic staff but also extended to finance and research managers, and other staff supporting the delivery of research activity.

• Mentorship Programmes: Mentorship programmes and training to demystify the hidden curriculum of international partnerships. This mentorship can be instrumental in guiding researchers through the complexities of applying for and maintaining international research grants. 

This case study describes a collaborative international writing project that ran from September 2020 to September 2021. The project brought together partners from Scotland, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia to create a critical resource on understanding the impact of participatory international research projects. Funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund and the Sustainable Futures Global Network, the project took place during a period when international travel was challenging.

Challenges and Solutions:

• Meeting Scheduling: To ensure consistent project progress, a regular meeting schedule was planned well in advance. Monthly meetings proved effective, ensuring the active participation and engagement of all partners.

• Funding for International Partners' Data: Funding was provided to cover the purchase of international partners' data packages to prevent any economic disadvantages while contributing to the project.

• Central Facilitator: A designated facilitator with a comprehensive understanding of the project's objectives played a crucial role. This person was responsible for task assignment, setting up meeting reminders, sharing materials in advance, defining tasks ahead of time, and checking for any gaps in communication or understanding.

• Addressing Communication Challenges: Virtual meetings made it more challenging to pick up on non-verbal cues, potentially hindering effective communication. To mitigate this, the team invested time in "checking in" with one another and utilised ice-breaker exercises to foster a sense of connection.

• Real-Time Collaboration: During meetings, team members brought different sections to share and work on, with opportunities for shared screens that allowed for real-time feedback. This ensured that all partners were actively engaged in the writing process and facilitated a more dynamic and cooperative environment.

• Team Approach: When receiving peer review feedback, the team adopted a collective responsibility approach. This helped maintain a positive atmosphere within the team.

By implementing a well-planned meeting schedule, a central facilitator, and strategies to address communication challenges, the project achieved its goals while maintaining equity in partnerships. Emphasising real-time collaboration and a team-oriented approach fostered a collaborative and inclusive environment, ultimately leading to the creation of a valuable resource on understanding the impact of participatory international research projects.

The development and testing of new diagnostic tests often require in-person training sessions. In Professor Julien Reboud’s group, these sessions normally span two weeks and play an essential part in training team members in lab processes for implementing new diagnostic tests and troubleshooting any challenges in the lab. However, the COVID-19 pandemic required a reconsideration of how to deliver training activities for staff and students at international partner institutions. This case study focuses on an innovative approach with a team at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) in Malawi to implement a project developing COVID-19 tests.

The training process was redesigned, with laptops set up in the lab, and remote training sessions delivered over Zoom. With laptops based in the lab, the teams would interact, share information, and troubleshoot issues in real-time. Instead of the traditional two-week sessions, the training was extended over three months, enabling a comprehensive and gradual learning process.

Benefits of the Redesigned Training: The adapted training approach yielded significant benefits. The extended duration provided the team at KUHeS in Malawi with more time to engage in the co-creation of diagnostic kits. This collaborative process resulted in a deeper understanding of the kits and their potential applications. Importantly, the extended training schedule also provided space and time for the teams to build relationships. The interactions that took place during the training allowed for a more equitable exchange of knowledge, fostering a sense of partnership and shared responsibility. The approach has been adopted for subsequent projects within the group.

Recommendations and Lessons Learned:

• Embrace technology: Utilise available digital tools to facilitate remote training and collaboration.

• Ensure sufficient funding for ICT equipment: If teams are to work remotely, ensure that all team members have access to ICT equipment. This needs to be budgeted for as early as possible in the process.

• Extend training periods: When in-person sessions are not feasible, consider longer, more comprehensive remote training schedules.

• Prioritise relationship-building: Allocate time for team members to connect and strengthen partnerships.

• Adaptability is key: Challenges can lead to innovative solutions, so be open to rethinking traditional approaches in response to unique circumstances.