Top tips for collaboration - Prof Julie Bernhardt

The Florey's Neuroscience Seminars have kicked off for another year with a range of fascinating topics - addiction, sleep, and stem cells have all featured. But last week, we heard about something applicable to all fields: the art of collaboration.

Prof Julie Bernhardt's seminar on 'When collaboration works' at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.    

Professor Julie Bernhardt AM, co-leader of the Stroke theme at the Florey, spoke last week on "When collaboration works: A story of building international partnerships to tackle challenges in stroke recovery research."

Professor Bernhardt knows a thing or two about enabling collaboration across disciplines and countries. As a leader of two Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtables and the International Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery Alliance, she has brought together experts from across the globe to lead the way in stroke research.

Here are her top tips for collaboration:

1.    Start with the 3 person test - is the idea important enough to pursue?

Ask three people you respect what they think of your idea. If all the reactions are positive, go for it!

2.    Decide early on a framework for interaction.

Who is coming to the table? How are they selected (think about diversity)? How are decisions made? And importantly, what's in it for them? Be transparent.

3.    Get comfortable with uncertainty and do it anyway.

You can't always predict the outcome. That's okay, hold the vision!

4.    Start small to see how people play together.

Create a forum event to showcase and discuss the problem.

5.    Have a mentor to advise you.

It's tricky pulling these big collaborations off . . . get good advice. (Hear more from Prof Bernhardt on what makes a good mentor here.)

6.    Carefully consider industry involvement.

There are pros and cons to sponsorship.

7.    Hold people to account.

Write down expectations and get them to 'sign up'.

8.    Have fun!

Organise some nice dinners and good catering - your collaborators are volunteers, after all!

9.    Thank everyone over and over again...

Keep talking about the vision and their contribution.