Responsible partnerships

Partnerships are a core part of Monash’s research culture. Responsible partnerships meet the challenges of conflicting environmental, economic, political and social needs. Centering respectful relationships, communication and good governance supports excellence, wellbeing and capability development.

Responsible Research Culture Framework

Download Monash’s Responsible Research Culture Framework here

What does a culture of responsible partnerships look like?

VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

  • Research excellence, integrity and scholarly rigour.
  • Mutual understanding, care and respect.
  • Research guided by shared goals, objectives and values.

EXPECTATIONS

  • Researchers identify and actively address risks of research interference and manage conflicts of interest.
  • All partners and collaborators within and outside the university treat others with respect and professionalism.

FORMAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND SYSTEMS

  • All staff follow the university’s policies and procedures relevant to their roles, including but not limited to those supporting risk management and compliance, and declarations of interest.
  • Clear collaborative agreements, project plans, engagement plans, timelines and authorship agreements to create shared understanding of roles, responsibilities, milestones, levels of commitment and resource allocation in research projects.

BEHAVIOURS

  • Clear, consistent, thorough and transparent communication.
  • Attentive and respectful listening.
  • Building trust and rapport with partners through authentic connections.
  • Respectfully addressing actions that jeopardise research integrity and rigour.

CREATING MEANING

  • Publicly value successful partnership and collaboration models.
  • Publicly celebrate the positive outcomes of collaborations.

Useful questions:

  • Do you have clear collaborative agreements, project plans, engagement plans and authorship agreements in place, outlining roles, responsibilities, milestones, levels of commitment and resource allocation?
  • Did/do your research partnerships create any conflict of interest or values? Have you addressed those conflicts?
  • What skills and training do you and your team need to make your partnerships a success?
  • How can you communicate clearly and transparently with collaborators from different disciplines, sectors, countries or cultures?