RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS: ‘WHY TO’ is as Important as ‘HOW TO’

Abiola Isawumi & Lydia Mosi | West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of
Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana | isawumiabiola@gmail.com, lmosi@gmail.com

Prologue
Collaboration is essential in any field. However, the ‘how to’ is as important as the ‘why to’. Researchers and
academics out of passion for what they intend to achieve through collaboration and partnership make some mistakes
and commit some unintended errors. While these are often overlooked by some courteous potential collaborators,
worthwhile collaboration and partnership have been naively compromised. In this piece, I have laid out salient points
to consider in the process of research collaborations and academic partnerships.

1. Purpose and Clarity
Define Purpose
Purpose is everything, and clarity of it potentiates
success. You cannot initiate any form of
collaboration without a definite purpose. It is the
purpose that determines if the proposal for
collaboration would be accepted, and eventually
the success of the collaboration. Though, no matter
how clear and succinct the purpose is, it has to fall
within the interests of collaborators and also must
be relevant to the ‘big picture’ of collaboration –
exchange of ideas, technology, initiatives, access
to platforms/state-of-art facilities, fostering
coordinated efforts to tackle global problems and
develop synergistic protocols to lead a successful
course against common or similar challenges. In
proposing collaboration, state clearly your purpose
and what you have well thought-out the
collaboration would achieve.
Clarify How Your Purpose Fits into the Core
Purpose of the Collaborators
How your research interests fit into the core
purpose of the collaborators is of high importance.
Highlight why the potential collaborators are the
most relevant, and make it clear that you are not
just patronizing them. Use simple words, clear and
stimulating sentences, but ‘open’ language. Avoid
‘localized jargon’ or slangs that are
unprofessional, informal or not generally
acceptable. Define terms where necessary and cite
references for clarifications. Be careful of
assumptions, though your research might be
similar or relatively the same. Don’t say what you
don’t mean and avoid a clash of interest. Respect
differences. Duck statements that can cause
disagreements or promote unwholesome
arguments that can hinder the purpose and
progress of the collaboration.
Don’t Sound Beggarly
Integrity is key to the success of any form of
collaboration, and researchers have this to protect
in reaching out to potential collaborators.
Researchers have to be courteous in presenting
their interests to collaborators – don’t project a
beggarly impression. Also, you will be appearing
incompetent and disoriented if you contact a
collaborator begging for collaboration! Be careful
not to allow your emotions to override your sense
of reasoning – never you initiate a collaboration on
the basis of pity. While stressing the challenges
underlining the proposal to drive the collaboration,
focus on the rationale rather than fronting
sentimental emotions. No collaborator would want
to collaborate with someone who creates a
beggarly impression.
2. Break the Ice Politely and Fittingly
Breaking inertia or getting across rightly and
correctly is the best way to start. Here, you have to
create a connection that transcends just initiating a
conversation. Remember, you are contacting
people that values commitments and are
responsibilities-driven, so you cannot start with a
wrong impression. Potential collaborators are
always fascinated by statements prioritizing their
impacts rather than just mere interests in what they
do. You have to state the truth truly, especially
how their research-toiling over the years has
influenced you certainly, and in some cases have
helped you to make right research decisions and
ultimately advance the global course of humanity.

Starting with Contact Notes
You might have to start with structuring a contact
note via ‘e-mails’ or other platforms to initiate
collaborations. Here, the content of the contact
statements, which in some cases could be a
concept note or executive research statements
would determine or set a tone for the success or
failure of the collaboration, among other factors.
Structuring Your Contact Notes:
i. Highlight any of your potential collaborators
outstanding research outputs that you
greatly valued,
ii. Indicate how you come across your
collaborator’s works and possibly state the
platform,
iii. Create a reminder if you have met these
potential collaborators before (an attached
picture might speak louder than a thousand
words here),
iv. Make references in case you know and have
worked with ‘another collaborator’ they are
familiar with or on their preference list,
v. If referred by a colleague or other person to
contact them, indicate this relevantly and
concisely.
Avoid These in Your Contact Notes:
i. Don’t start with a need that might scare
away the collaborators,
ii. Never over-represent the essence of
collaboration and partnership,
iii. Requesting for money is a deal-breaker for
most collaborators,
iv. Be careful not to sound like a ‘Gold-
digger’,
v. Unguided statements about race, gender,
marital status, should be avoided.
3. Track Records
Documents Your Research Impacts
Potential collaborators are very interested in your
research or academic journey – your grand
successes, previous collaborations, grant
achievement records, research impacts,
opportunities you’ve created for others, problems
you’ve solved and somewhat your failures. Track
records motivates and breeds confidence in the
proposed collaboration. Also, it prompts ample
investment of time, resources and even trust from
collaborators. Track record is a testimonial that
history of your past victories can be repeated if
given another opportunity. Most collaborations
1
user
thrive on trust and on a model that signifies that
tested experiential skills and knowledge
acquisition of the collaborators are reliable and
applicable. Here, I will advise you to be refined in
your approach – Indicate outstanding research
excellence and impacts relevant to the
collaboration.
Provide a Quick, but Very Precise Résumé
Provide evidences including publications, drafted
policy statements, patents, novel protocols, prizes,
awards and possible links to presentations in
conferences. You might as well indicate
workshops, meetings and public engagements
you’ve hosted and championed, and how all these
birthed revolutions and worthwhile changes within
your sphere of influence. Please, no ‘purple
purpose’ here; you can’t exaggerate or overstate
your achievements. While stating your track
records is an ideal part of collaboration initiatives,
however you cannot tell lies or create a false
impression. Tell the necessary truth truthfully and
don’t allow desperate emotions to set in. Potential
collaborators would love to celebrate your past
success, but they don’t want to be fooled and
cajoled. Be plain, and avoid pretense – lying is
unethical and can destroy promising collaboration
and partnership.
4. What Value Can You Add?
State your ‘Value Capital’
Great collaborators focus their efforts and positive
energy on adding values. Collaboration in any
field becomes fruitful on the hinge of value capital
and what the involved parties can share and
achieve in terms of benefits – collaboration should
be a ‘win-win’ game. No one wants to collaborate
with ‘parasites’– perching for personal
satisfaction with nothing to offer. Before
proposing collaboration or initiating partnership,
start by asking – what can I and willing to offer? It
could be logic or ‘soft’ skills, technical apparatus
or resourcefulness; just ensure you are ready to
create opportunities for healthy, unbiased and
valuable exchange.
Your Collaborative Advantage
Collaboration is simply leveraging advantages.
Potential partners and collaborators are largely
saddled with responsibilities of taking advantage
of the provided advantages and opportunities.
Create a clearer impression of your competence
 user

and how this in partnership with your diagnostics and intervention strategies for the disease.
collaborator’s expertise can achieve the objectives Lydia also works in the determination of antimicrobial
resistance in samples from patients and the
of the proposed collaboration. Always remember environment. She has trained over 15 graduate
that simplicity in approach and presentation can students, published 25 articles in peer-reviewed journals
never go wrong or misinterpreted. Project the and has contributed to two book chapters. Lydia has a
protocols of your interest in the collaboration with bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and zoology and
received her PhD in microbiology from the University of
relevant complementary values – you can point to Tennessee, USA in 2009.
how this helped your previous collaborations.
Emphasize the strength of your team and provide
information on applicable specifications including
the competence of your current and past trainees.
Be clear about how you have successfully handled
challenges that you envisioned might emerge as a
result of the collaboration.

Conclusion
Overall, don’t play low on acknowledgements
where necessary and indicate the need for the help
you are seeking through the collaboration. Caution
is also a golden advice in projecting the value you
can add – don’t say too much, but enough to
encourage the collaboration. Focus only on the
essence of the collaboration and don’t discuss
other research ideas that are for your team which
are not within the scope of the collaboration.

The Authors
Abiola Isawumi is a postdoctoral research fellow in the
laboratory of Lydia Mosi at the West African Centre for
Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP),
Ghana where he was awarded his doctorate degree in
Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases. Abiola
investigates the antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
mechanisms of common and novel superbugs
(ESKAPE pathogens) prevalent and diversely
distributed in hospital environments. His research
activities involve leveraging phenotypic algorithms and
molecular tools for developing diverse assays to
understand the pathways pathogens use to avoid
antibiotics. Abiola also investigates the biofilm-motility
interplay in bacterial pathogenesis and hospital-
acquired infections. He has been an academic guest at
Harvard and is a visiting research associate at Queen’s
University, Belfast.

Lydia Mosi is a senior lecturer in cell and molecular

biology at the University of Ghana as well as Logistics
Coordinator of the West African Centre for Cell Biology
of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), also in Ghana.Her
main research interest is in Buruli ulcer, a necrotizing
skin ulcerative disease caused by Mycobacterium
ulcerans. With the use of multidisciplinary approaches,
she investigates existing gaps in transmission. Her
research also includes the development of rapid