What happens when research governance ends but collaboration continues?

Part of the Building Better Research Ecosystems series

Research collaborations are often built around a clearly defined project. Funding is secured, agreements are signed, data are collected, reports are produced, and perhaps a publication (s) are prepared. Throughout the life of the project, governance structures are typically in place to guide decision-making, manage resources, define responsibilities, and address disputes.

But what happens when the project officially ends? What happens when the funding has been exhausted, the contracts have expired, the steering committees have dissolved, and the formal governance structures are no longer active — yet the collaboration continues?

This is a surprisingly common situation, particularly in international research collaborations, and one that receives far less attention than it deserves.

The end of a project is not always the end of a collaboration

Many research projects generate outputs that extend far beyond the original funding period. Data may continue to be analysed years after collection. Additional publications may emerge from the same dataset. New partnerships may develop from the relationships established during the project. Follow-on studies may be proposed. Researchers may continue sharing expertise, resources, and networks long after the original project has formally concluded.

In many cases, the most valuable outcomes of a project emerge after the funding period ends. Yet while collaborations often continue, the governance systems that supported them frequently do not. This creates a unique challenge.

Publications after project completion

Large research projects often generate multiple publications over an extended period. The first publication may appear during the project itself, while secondary analyses, review papers, policy briefs, technical reports, and follow-on studies may be developed months or even years later.

Questions may emerge regarding who has the authority to approve additional publications. How should authorship be determined after the original project has ended? Can new collaborators be added? Who is responsible for reviewing manuscripts before submission? What happens when contributors disagree on interpretation or publication strategy? During an active project, these questions may be addressed through established governance processes. After project completion, the answers are often far less clear.

Without prior agreement, differing expectations can create tension between collaborators who may have assumed they shared the same understanding.

Data use beyond the funding period

Research data often remains valuable long after a project concludes. Researchers may wish to conduct additional analyses, combine datasets with new studies, develop educational materials, support future grant applications, or contribute to broader scientific initiatives.

However, important questions may arise on who retains access to the data? What permissions are required for future use? Are there restrictions that continue beyond the funding period? Can data be shared with new collaborators? How should future outputs acknowledge original contributors?

In international collaborations involving multiple institutions, these questions can become particularly complex. While data management plans commonly address activities during the project period, the long-term governance of data is often less clearly defined.

Follow-on work and new opportunities

Successful collaborations frequently create opportunities that were never envisioned when the project began. Researchers may be invited to join new initiatives, provide expert consultations, participate in conferences, contribute to policy discussions, or collaborate on future studies. These opportunities often arise because of work completed within the original project. Determining how these opportunities should be managed is not always straightforward. Questions may emerge regarding whether original collaborators should be informed about new opportunities; how intellectual contributions should be recognised; whether prior project relationships create ongoing obligations, when new work is sufficiently distinct from the original project.

The answers are rarely black and white. Each situation depends on the nature of the collaboration, the agreements in place, and the expectations established among participants.

Ongoing responsibilities

One of the least discussed aspects of post-project collaboration is the question of ongoing responsibility. Formal contracts may have ended, but ethical and professional responsibilities often remain. Researchers may continue to have responsibilities relating to data stewardship, confidentiality, publication integrity, appropriate acknowledgment of contributions, compliance with ethical approvals, protection of participant information, and maintenance of professional relationships.

These responsibilities do not necessarily disappear when a funding agreement expires. In many cases, they continue long after the final project report has been submitted.

The governance gap

The period after project completion can be thought of as a governance gap. The collaboration continues, but the structures designed to support it may no longer exist. When expectations remain aligned, this gap may never become visible. However, when assumptions differ, uncertainties can emerge regarding decision-making, responsibilities, ownership, communication, and future use of project outputs. As collaborations evolve beyond the life of a funded project, questions of authority, responsibility, and accountability do not disappear.

Where no clear framework exists for managing activities beyond the formal project period, collaborators may find themselves navigating important decisions without the structures that previously supported transparency, accountability, and dispute resolution. Recognising that the impacts of funded research frequently extend beyond the life of a grant, funders may have an important role in encouraging clear expectations regarding post-project governance, accountability, and stewardship of research outputs and relationships.

Many of these challenges could be reduced through proactive planning during the project itself. Discussions about publication pathways, long-term data use, authorship principles, and post-project responsibilities are often most effective when held before they become necessary.

Looking beyond project end dates

Recognising that collaborations frequently outlive formal governance structures may help researchers, institutions, and funders better prepare for the long-term realities of collaborative research. The end of a project is often viewed as a conclusion. In practice, it may simply be the beginning of the next chapter.

Written by Sasha Saugh
Aquatic Veterinarian | Founder, Aquaglobal Veterinary Consulting