One of the unique aspects to these funding awards was the expectation that organizations establish and develop fair and equitable partnerships from the conception to the closeout of the project. All relevant AAP institutions and local stakeholders were to be involved as appropriate throughout the project, respecting all stakeholders’ knowledge and expertise, and taking an adaptive approach that is responsive to the local context. Additionally, the proposal, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation components outlined processes to establish and measure the health and equity of the partnerships. For example, the final report asked questions about how the project contributed to innovative partnerships; and changes in behavior, capacities, actions, or relationships of researchers, networks, or research institutions.

As part of the PIRA program, AAP’s partnership principles include, but are not limited to, the following:

• A research team structure and project design that reinforces accountability and is equitable: Shared vision – mutual benefit, mutual capacity building.
• A proposal that is inclusive in its approach: Diversity and inclusion reflected on the research team and in the project’s design and approach.
• Collaboration must be sustainable beyond the initial grant cycle, with a view toward long-term collaboration: The proposal should also reflect sustainable effort at addressing a problem and transforming lives.
• A proposal development process that is transparent with all partners engaged from the beginning: Objectives, activities, resource mobilization, and resource allocation plans are developed jointly.

AAP, in partnership with consortium member University of Pretoria, and the Human Sciences Research Council, conducted a full-day workshop at the 2022 Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) conferenceto address the challenge of ensuring equitable partnerships, between and among the Global North and Global South. Representatives from the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust were speakers, among others. This workshop also shared the experiences of African and international partners including a mapping study conducted at higher education and research institutions across several African countries and internationally. Best practices were shared to innovate authentic, transformative, equitable partnerships with Africa for researchers and professional staff, specifically research managers.

AAP management and University of Pretoria also partnered on an equitable partnerships session at the 2023 International Network of Research Management Societies conference, on “Innovative capacity building for research managers and early-career researchers to facilitate equitable and impactful partnerships.” Presenters in that session included leaders from Stellenbosch University (South Africa), Midlands State University (Zimbabwe), Fort Hare University (South Africa), UK Collaborative on Development Research (United Kingdom), and the Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa).

AAP collaborated with Rutgers University to lead two workshops at the 2023 African Studies Association annual meeting. The “AfricaNow! Inclusive and Equitable Partnerships in Science, Technology and Innovation in Africa, Parts I and II” sessions included representatives from the University of Pretoria, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the University of California, Davis. Discussions centered on institutional transformation and exchange programs for enhancing inclusive and equitable partnerships; inclusive and intersectional research partnerships; interdisciplinary partnerships in technology, innovation and social science research to address health and well-being in Africa; opportunities for Africa and US partnerships around data science and artificial intelligence; development and refinement of a US/Africa STEM partnerships; and partnership experiences in AAP.