Abstract

How do you solve global challenges without global co-design of research and implementation? Funders, both in Europe and worldwide, are increasingly supporting challenges that require more complex and transdisciplinary solutions. International collaboration has, to date, been an indispensable driver of research programs. However, with New Zealand as the first developed country in the Southern Hemisphere to associate with Horizon Europe, international collaboration can now truly mean global collaboration.

Global collaboration presents a myriad of advantages that transcend geographical boundaries. It broadens the impact and scope of research programs by fostering the integration of diverse cultural perspectives. For projects dependent on seasonal conditions, global collaboration allows work to continue year-round through engagement in both hemispheres. This diversity extends to environments and urban centers, providing rich opportunities for cross-disciplinary research.

However, despite these benefits, global collaboration introduces additional complexities for researchers, research managers and administrators. These include time and language differences, divergent regulatory requirements, disparate processes, and geographical distances. Further, in a climate where sustainability is a very real consideration, how do we bring together researchers from opposite sides of the globe? These challenges require proactive measures to mitigate their impact. New Zealand researchers have successfully collaborated with their European counterparts for many years, giving us a unique vantage point when discussing these issues.

The role of research managers and administrators is pivotal in facilitating and maximizing the benefits of global collaboration for our researchers and funders. To address this, we propose a key question to initiate a broad discussion and identify potential solutions:

How can we best support our successful global research collaborations and facilitate the running of co-designed projects?

Specifically,

* What are the main "barriers" to global collaboration?

*What are some practical solutions to overcoming these barriers, keeping a focus on sustainability?

Identifying barriers is the first step toward devising strategies to overcome them. Whether it's streamlining administrative processes or providing language support, our role is to alleviate these challenges. By harnessing the collective expertise of the EARMA community, we can develop a comprehensive toolkit of best practices and strategies to empower our researchers and unlock the full potential of global collaboration. Together, we can build bridges across continents and accelerate the advancement of research for the betterment of all societies.