Developing International Collaborations for Early Career Researchers in Psychology

Abstract

International collaboration is becoming increasingly vital as the emphasis on unmet need for mental health across cultures and nations grows. Opportunities exist for early career researchers to engage in international collaboration. However, little information is provided about such opportunities in most current psychology training models. The authors are early career researchers in psychology from U.S. and Australia who have developed a collaborative relationship over the past two years. Our goal is to increase awareness of funding opportunities to support international research and to highlight the benefits and challenges associated with international collaboration based on our experience.

International collaboration is critical in the progress of mental health treatment, which represents a global issue of growing importance. Seminal reports by the World Health Organization (World Health Organization, 2001, 2010), among others (Collins et al., 2011; Demyttenaere et al., 2004; Murray et al., 2013), have outlined the staggering societal and financial burden associated with mental health problems worldwide. Startling projections describe the extent to which this disease burden is likely to multiply in coming years (Cohen, 2000). This increasing burden is primarily due to the scarcity of resources for the development and dissemination of efficacious mental health treatments, particularly in low and middle income countries (Collins et al., 2011; Minas, 2012; Patel, Flisher, Hetrick, & McGorry, 2007).

Some attempts to minimize the gap between mental health disease burden and successful implementation of treatments include international efforts to collect, share, and analyze data. For example, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed hubs to facilitate international collaboration in mental health research. The Fulbright Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural affairs, also has a long history of facilitating cross-cultural research for public health improvement; the National Science Foundation includes an office of International and Integrative Activities; and the World Health Organization (WHO) recently developed the Mental Health Gap Action Programme, which aim to increase awareness of the disease burden of mental health and increase access to treatment services (World Health Organization, 2008). Researchers have also emphasized the need to develop new models of treatment appropriate for larger-scale implementation, with an organized research agenda as a centerpiece of addressing the tremendous global mental health burden (Becker & Kleinman, 2013).

Each of these efforts are based on the notion that international collaborations are essential to identify cross-cultural similarities and differences in the etiology, course, and treatment of mental health problems; to identify gaps in mental health treatment delivery; and ultimately to improve mental health care accessibility and efficacy worldwide. For these efforts to succeed, collaborative aptitude is necessary at a variety of levels. Extant research emphasizes the need for collaborative skills as a cornerstone of psychology training (Castonguay & Muran, 2015; Porcerelli, Fowler, Murdoch, Markova, & Kimbrough, 2013).

The authors are a group of ECRs in the U.S. and Australia who, with guidance from our mentorship teams, have built a productive ongoing collaborative relationship. It is our experience that international collaborations are related to a specific set of challenges and rewards, and provide opportunities for ECR sin psychology to develop a unique set of skills. In this paper we draw on our experiences to encourage awareness among our early career colleagues regarding opportunities for international collaboration. Thus, the aims of this paper are to 1) discuss the importance of international collaboration in professional development for ECRs in psychology; 2) provide basic information regarding international research funding opportunities for ECRs; and 3) offer guidance on considerations for building and maintaining international collaborations.

The Role of International Collaboration in Professional Development

Early career psychologists face a number of responsibilities spanning clinical, empirical, educational, and advocacy forums, among others. We will focus on those engaged in part or whole in research-focused training and employment. For those of us pursuing careers in an academic setting, the necessity of articulating the impact of our budding programs of research is heavily emphasized. Through applications for internships, fellowships, career development awards, and in the preparation of promotion packets, we learn that our professional advancement hinges on our ability to describe our research trajectory and the impact of our program of research. One fundamental component of our professional development is being able to demonstrate the ways in which we are becoming nationally recognized experts. Expertise is typically shown through scholarly productivity in the form of internal and extramural funding, publication in peer-review outlets, and presentation at national conferences. International recognition has also become part of the evaluation process for many of us, particularly with regard to attaining extramural funding and preparing for promotion; successful international collaboration suggests, perhaps more than any other endeavor, that you are working independently and productively.

For many ECRs, the concept of expanding one’s program of research internationally might seem out of reach: to be considered at some vague future time when we have become “more senior”. Over the past two years, each of us —the authors— have gathered our courage to make this leap a little sooner. Of course, international collaboration is challenging at times. However, our experiences suggest that an international collaboration between early career investigators is not only feasible, but is also scientifically, interpersonally, and professionally rewarding. We believe these collaborations not only facilitate individual growth early on, but also exponentiate the scientific rigor of our respective and collective research efforts.

Funding Opportunities to Support International Collaborations for ECRs

As mentioned below, there are many avenues to build an international collaboration. It may not seem natural for ECRs to pursue these opportunities when starting out in new positions. However, the opportunities exist, they are attainable, and many are exceptionally well suited to ECRs. Our group has found success through a variety of these opportunities: Dr. Crome recently hosted Dr. Flanagan on an International Visiting Research Fellowship at Macquarie University and the National Health and Medical Research Centre of Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia). This visiting research fellowship aimed, in part, to enhance the existing collaboration between Drs. Flanagan and Barrett, and had the added benefit of Drs. Flanagan and Forbes forming an additional collaborative interest; the authors of this narrative are currently co-authoring a manuscript led by Dr. Forbes. Finally, Dr. Barrett was recently awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship and will spend 2016 abroad working with Dr. Flanagan and her group at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Perhaps the most concrete way to demonstrate an investment and interest in developing a collaborative relationship is to travel to work together in person. To outline some examples of longer-term travel opportunities: the Fulbright Scholar Program, funded the U.S. Department of State, offers scholarships up to one year’s duration for individuals to pursue collaborative research opportunities abroad. Fellowships to fund travel opportunities are particularly relevant to ECRs in the field of psychology, given psychology and mental health research are often impacted by current events, politics, language, and culture. The American Australian Association offers the Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowship, open to U.S. researchers at the graduate level or above to enroll in study at an Australian learning institution. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) International Program also offers postdoctoral fellowships and fellowships for investigators to study global health topics in drug abuse.

Some examples of short-term opportunities include the Fulbright Specialist program, which requires a minimum three-week stay abroad. The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers a variety of research traineeship opportunities and publishes a website dedicated to international research endeavors. The value of visiting researcher fellowships available from individual universities and departments cannot be overstated. These programs often focus on consolidating the development of international collaborations to enhance the productivity and international visibility of the academics at the host institution. While these endeavors require more groundwork in terms of building collaborative relationships in advance of one’s application, the competition is typically less stringent compared to federally funded opportunities. We also recommend discussing the use of existing research funds with one’s mentorship team to support brief international travel where possible.

Tips on Building International Collaboration

Choose collaborators wisely

As with any partnership, it is important to choose collaborators carefully. Among those investigators working in your area of interest, consider who has written recent publications that captured your attention as being particularly novel, interesting, or in line with your research goals. It is ideal if your potential collaborator has an established track record of implementing their own projects, and can write effectively and efficiently. If you are building your collaboration from scratch, a history of first author publications and/or successful grant applications can be a good indicator of these characteristics. Existing international relationships of your mentors or research team can also offer a good starting point for considering potential collaborators.

Connect

In the absence of a letter of introduction from a senior colleague that has connections with the individual or group of interest, compose one for yourself. The letter should explain briefly the focus of your program of research, the fact that you have been following their body of work, and that you are interested in discussing opportunities for future collaboration. The process is similar to connecting with potential graduate school mentors, internship or fellowship faculty, or potential employers.

Start small

Not every collaboration will grow to be long lasting, and some are more fruitful than others. The extent to which your international collaborative efforts are rewarding is dependent on a variety of individual, group, and environmental factors. Like any partnership, beginning with small steps and gradually increasing investment is an effective strategy. Utilize technology such as video conferencing to demonstrate commitment to the partnership and increase the sense of “realness” of your work together before your scholarly products are completed. Excellent starting points include determining whether you will be attending any of the same professional meetings where your could co-author a poster or assemble a symposium. Collaborative manuscripts are also a strong choice for research productivity, particularly if you have readily available data and a clear, concise research question established.

Awareness of Cultural Differences

Inherent to any discussion of international collaboration is the influence of cross-cultural differences in 1) professional norms and their influence the collaborative experience and 2) developing research questions and implementing joint research projects. Regarding the former, it is important to remember that academic activities are implemented differently in different counties. Collaborating investigators may have different expectations about time spent in and away from the office, willingness to engage in work-related activities outside office hours, importance placed on professional/organizational hierarchy, and who is responsible for which tasks (e.g. regulatory approval, data sharing and analysis, and designating writing responsibilities for scholarly products). While some of these lessons are best, or only, learned through practice, it is worth learning about cultural norms before the level of investment in the partnership increases. This is particularly true for individuals considering partnering with individuals or groups who work in countries with more substantial cultural differences from the U.S. It is our experience that discussing these differences openly provides the most opportunity for adaptation.

Regarding the latter, issues such as sociopolitical context, involvement in civil and/or international conflict, government regulation of research, gender and cultural norms, and even geography will greatly influence some important aspects of collaboration. While that may initially seem obvious, we will contextualize based on our mutual interests in co-occurring posttraumatic stress, substance use disorders, and interpersonal violence. Despite many similarities in culture, language, and politics between the U.S. and Australia, some important differences have influenced our research activities. For example, the prevalence of different potentially traumatic exposures differ substantially between our countries, and the emphasis and resources devoted to PTSD research among specific populations is substantially different. Prevalence of different types of substance use also differ, possibly due in part to substances available and distributed at different rates in different parts of the world, the justice system responses to drug use and distribution, and to cultural views on use of different substances. Perhaps the most poignant example in our experience is the requirement in Australia for violence between adults to be reported and intervened upon in similar fashion to how child or elder abuse is dealt with in the U.S. Another important difference is that firearm possession/ownership is heavily restricted in Australia. This changes the implications of asking questions that are not only typical, but also essential, in the context of research and safety planning with PTSD and violence samples in the U.S. (e.g., the frequency, type, and severity of violence experiences). Essentially, the US and Australian governments have different conceptualizations of adult interpersonal violence that trickled down to inform nearly every aspect of our research design and implementation.

Communicate Clearly

Simply put, international collaborations can be challenging. We have found that effective communication not only facilitates our productivity together, but also increases our professional autonomy at our respective institutions. Within our collaboration, we have been challenged to refocus on the topics that genuinely excite us and are related to national funding priorities, rather than on the most convenient topic. Our investment in the success of our partnership has also challenged us to be more assertive when an aspect of the project planning or collaboration is not meeting our needs well. In difficult situations, clear communication has been key to help us adapt and strengthen our collaborative relationships, which have acted as an additional source of productivity and facilitated our growth in becoming increasingly self-reliant at our respective institutions. Clear communication has also been valuable in expressing our appreciation for one another’s work on shared projects as well as our partnership generally, which has reinforced the positive aspects of the collaborative relationship.

Anticipate challenges

Our most substantial difficulties have arisen from 1) differences in institution closures and holiday schedules, 2) time zone differences, 3) differences in funding application deadlines that often influence our priorities, and 4) navigating regulatory approval processes across institutions. Without careful planning, patience, and compassion, it could be easy to lose momentum or grow resentful of perceived differences in commitment or work output. We schedule Skype meetings at least quarterly, and we account for time differences between our locations and agree to stay late or arrive early to facilitate those meetings.

Authorship

Authorship and leadership on professional products can be a sensitive issue, and is critical to navigate in any collaborative relationship. It is important to avoid agreeing to any arrangement that you feel uncomfortable with, and to allow yourself adequate time to think arrangements over before agreeing or proposing alternatives. Be assertive and clear during the initial planning stages. If it is important to you to lead a particular paper or project, make it known. We have found success through sharing a belief and trust that each of us not only wants the others to be as successful individually as they can be, but that prosocial behaviors bolster the best interest of the collaboration.

Conclusions

In preparation of this narrative and our other scholarly products, we have taken time to reflect on the quality of our professional partnership. We have gained autonomy, confidence, and self-efficacy through this process, and we have become friends as well as professional colleagues. In summary, we encourage our early career colleagues to pursue international collaboration opportunities. In our experience, the investment is entirely worthwhile. We hope that the lessons we have drawn from our experiences will boost our ECR colleagues’ confidence in building collaborations, and that together our international efforts will maximize improvements in mental health treatments and accessibility.