title: Understanding collaboration in a multi-national research capacity-building partnership: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research capacity building and its impact on policy and international research partnership is increasingly seen as important. High income and low- and middle-income countries frequently engage in research collaborations. These can have a positive impact on research capacity building, provided such partnerships are long-term collaborations with a unified aim, but they can also have challenges. What are these challenges, which often result in a short term/ non viable collaboration? Does such collaboration results in capacity building? What are the requirements to make any collaboration sustainable? This study aimed to answer these and other research questions through examining an international collaboration in one multi-country research capacity building project ARCADE RSDH (Asian Regional Capacity Development for Research on Social Determinants of Health).
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative study was conducted that focused on the reasons for the collaboration, collaboration patterns involved, processes of exchanging information, barriers faced and perceived growth in research capacity. In-depth interviews were conducted with the principal investigators (n = 12), research assistants (n = 2) and a scientific coordinator (n = 1) of the collaborating institutes. Data were analysed using thematic framework analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The initial contact between institutes was through previous collaborations. The collaboration was affected by the organisational structure of the partner institutes, political influences and the collaboration design. Communication was usually conducted online, which was affected by differences in time and language and inefficient infrastructure. Limited funding resulted in restricted engagement by some partners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study explored work in a large, North-South collaboration project focusing on building research capacity in partner institutes. The project helped strengthen research capacity, though differences in organization types, existing research capacity, culture, time, and language acted as obstacles to the success of the project. Managing these differences requires preplanned strategies to develop functional communication channels among the partners, maintaining transparency, and sharing the rewards and benefits at all stages of collaboration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Environment, RD Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, India.
authors.forename: Dinansha
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Varshney
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Salla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Management Research University, Jaipur, India.
authors.forename: Arindam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Environment, RD Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, India. vishaldiwan@hotmail.com.|Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. vishaldiwan@hotmail.com.|International Centre for Health Research, RD Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, India. vishaldiwan@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Vishal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Diwan
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes; D001208:Asia; D057191:Capacity Building; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007391:International Cooperation; D057766:Policy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012106:Research; D012107:Research Design; D012108:Research Personnel
keywords: International collaboration; Research capacity building; Social determinants of health