Proposing a new framework for optimising global collaborative projects in conservation

27 August 2024

The highly collaborative Sequeira Lab is pleased to share that the paper “A framework for optimising opportunistic collaborative syntheses to propel ecological conservation” has just been published in the journal Biological Conservation. Led by our lab lead Assoc Prof Ana Sequeira and co-authored by 26 other researchers, the paper is a key output from a workshop that took place at an annual meeting of the Pew Marine Fellows. It proposes a framework that aims to guide the creation of opportunistic, bottom-up collaborative synthesis projects, key to address today's wicked global challenges.

Important steps to the creation of these big-data projects include strategic planning, maintenance of clear communication throughout the project lifetime, and engagement with collaborators, to alleviate some of the major common challenges. These challenges include issues that can arise from dealing with a range of differing perspectives, data standardisation and interoperability, as well as resource constraints to maintaining the projects alive. The framework proposed in the article aims to guide future collaborative efforts across the world, engaging large groups of collaborators striving to achieve a common goal.

The authors argue that current funding structures do not accommodate the needs of such initiatives and that funding mechanisms need to evolve to better support these types of complex multi-disciplinary, and wide-ranging projects. Indeed, they put forward that philanthropic foundations may play a key funding role, as the financing of opportunistic collaborative syntheses provides a true opportunity for catalytic development and impact.

Congratulations to all contributors on developing such an inspiring framework!