Collaboration & Partnership Policy

1.Principles

• mission alignment and a defined public or research benefit;
• accurate attribution and transparent public communications;
• proportionate data access, security, and confidentiality;
• respect for intellectual property and contributor choices; and
• disclosure and management of relevant conflicts of interest.

2.Written agreement

For a material collaboration, written terms should identify the parties, purpose, scope, responsibilities, duration, costs or remuneration, and how the work may end. Include the permissions, confidentiality, security, data handling and end-of-project arrangements relevant to that collaboration. Existing agreements can supply these terms. Where they already cover them, no separate document is needed.

Record whether work is paid or voluntary, who may make commitments for each party, and the agreed attribution and permitted reuse of contributions. Intellectual-property rights depend on applicable law and the relevant agreements. A title, affiliation or public acknowledgement does not by itself authorise someone to bind another organisation or license its materials.

Where personal data is involved, determine the parties’ roles from what they actually do and put the legally required data-protection arrangements in place. Contract labels do not change those roles.

3.Editorial independence

No funder, sponsor, institution or conference partner gets an undisclosed right to control World Wide search results, recommendations, moderation or editorial conclusions. Where the context could otherwise mislead, paid or partner-supported material must be distinguishable. Working together does not mean either party endorses everything the other says or does.

4.Review and concerns

We review a collaboration when its scope changes or a material risk appears. Subject to applicable law and agreed terms, we may suspend or end a collaboration for legal, security, integrity or mission reasons. To propose work or raise a concern, use the contact below and name the organisation and programme involved. Mark a confidential concern clearly. We respect confidentiality as far as the review and the law allow.

No agency: this policy does not by itself establish a partnership, joint venture, employment or agency relationship. The parties’ relationship depends on their actual arrangements and applicable law.