Support for international research

Help and advice every step of the way for researchers undertaking international research projects

Planning and conducting international and global health research can be more complex and require more paperwork than projects taking place exclusively in the UK.

However, support and guidance is available every step of the way. Below, we have brought together links to the key services and toolkits offered by Edinburgh Research Office (ERO), Edinburgh Global, the Academic and Clinical Central Office for Research and Development (ACCORD) and other teams across the University.

Edinburgh Global Partnerships toolkit: An information hub for Edinburgh staff with resources and guidance on the principles of partnerships, steps to develop new partnerships, due diligence checklists, risk management, internal governance and approval groups and staff contact points [EASE log-in required]

Planning your research

1) Develop your idea

International development research: What to consider if you plan to do research with partners in low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries
Interdisciplinary research: Resources and information if you plan to conduct interdisciplinary research
Gender equity: How to integrate gender equality considerations into international research projects and promote gender parity in research teams and global research partnerships

2) Identify funding

Funding opportunities calendar (requires MyEd login)
International development research funding: An overview of UK Government Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding streams
Key international funders
- UKRI
- Wellcome
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)
- Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH)

3) Craft your application

Crafting an international development research proposal: Specific guidance for ensuring your application meets the expectations of international development research panels.
Due diligence: Information for researchers and professional services staff about due diligence, the University's processes and who is responsible for due diligence across the University.
All funding applications for a global health research project must be reviewed by ACCORD to identify any governance-related issues or costs. To do this, please ensure you submit your proposal to ACCORD at least ten working days before the funder's application deadline.
You must also complete ERO's Intention to Submit form at least five days before the funder deadline, or at least four weeks if the proposed research involves a clinical trial. This will alert your Research Funding Specialist, who will help you with costing and other aspects of the application. You may want to discuss the potential for reducing indirect costs for projects funded by ODA with your Research Funding Specialist.

Contact ACCORD at: resgov@accord.scot

ERO's Intention to Submit form (requires MyEd login)

4) Manage your award

Setting up research contracts
Due diligence
International data transfer
University Business Travel guidelines: Up-to-date information on insurance, risk assessments, safety, travel, health, and what to do in case of an emergency when you travel on University business, including field work.
University Occupational Health Unit: Health advice for those travelling overseas, including pre-travel consultations and appropriate vaccinations
Sustainable travel: Guides and policies from the University's Social responsibility and sustainability team
Ethics

5) Working with research participants and research users

Safeguarding: Making sure that anyone who comes into contact with what you are doing does not experience harm as a result.
Community engagement and involvement, CEI (NIHR guidance): How can global health research be be undertaken in collaboration with the communities who are most likely to be affected.
Engagement and impact (University guidance): Information and resources to help you plan engagement with members of public and research users in the public, private or third sector in order to enhance the benefit and impact of your research.

Sponsorship of international / global health research

Any international or global health study planning to include humans, their tissue or data requires a sponsor.

As detailed on our Clinical research support page, the sponsor is not the funder but the institution that takes responsibility for the overall management and conduct of a study and ensures that, for example:

the project is legal, ethical, feasible and safe
insurance and indemnity are in place
correct approvals are in place.

The University's Sponsorship team for CMVM is based within ACCORD, which is a joint office between the University and NHS Lothian, situated at the Edinburgh BioQuarter campus.

Sponsorship must be confirmed before seeking any other approvals, so please contact the ACCORD team as soon as possible when planning a global health study, and no later than ten working days before the funder deadline.

Ethical considerations of international / global health research

Alongside robust ethical oversight, research undertaken abroad or with international partners will require additional attention to research ethics, governance and management, as well as the health and safety of researchers.

CMVM Research Ethics Committees (RECs) strive for robust, equitable and transparent ethical review of Global Health research studies submitted to us by University of Edinburgh staff and students. Ethical review seeks to protect not only the rights of participants but also the rights and professional reputations of researchers and the institution, and hence there is a responsibility to review work that involves people and resources from UoE. The term ‘global health’ is often used to refer to work carried out in Low- and Middle- Income Countries or contexts (LMICs) by funders and research organisations. We are using the term to apply to all non-UK based, i.e., international, research (i.e., research conducted exclusively outside the UK), irrespective of whether Low-, Middle-, or High- Income Contexts.

An internal audit and review by a short-life working group has led to the CMVM position of applying a ‘dual review’ policy to all global health research, irrespective of funder, or of non-UK location. CMVM has taken the approach of CMVM REC submission first, then in-country REC submission. For further information and access to the position statement and FAQ document, please visit the EMREC SharePoint site.