Improve partnership health by explicitly addressing equity and power

The Association of Commonwealth Universities Equitable Research Partnerships toolkit focuses on improving partnership sustainability through equity, power-awareness, and shared practice. It is particularly useful for collaborations that span institutions, countries, or community/NGO contexts, where differences in voice, credit, resourcing, and decision rights can quietly undermine success. It can help you design how to:

Diagnose partnership risks and power imbalances early
Improve governance, accountability, and shared decision-making
Surface common friction points (credit, resourcing, ownership, expectations) before they escalate
Strengthen trust and sustainability over time

ACU Equitable Research Partnerships Toolkit

“Networks matter, but relationships matter more than visibility.”
Martina Egedusevic, Impact Fellow, University of Exeter. Read more from Martina.

What will you take forward?

One thing to consider: Where does power sit in your partnership (funding, agenda-setting, authorship, data), and what one change would make decision-making more equitable?

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