ABSTRACT
Researchers and their funders who enjoy relationships based on the idea of partnership say most often that the greatest benefit is the opportunity to keep developing, growing and learning. Like any relationship, funding partnerships are dynamic, unique and best conducted in an atmosphere of openness and trust. One of the benefits of partnership is the knowledge that researchers are being supported as they venture into new and sometimes dangerous territories. The large and widening pool of contract researchers increases the need for collaborative approaches. Some funders pre-establish their research agenda through thematic priorities while others work more in responsive mode, where researchers set the themes and questions. A working, enduring partnership will allow a researcher, or team or department, to build up expertise in one area. The benefits of research partnerships are therefore both immediate and far-reaching.
