Ongoing inequities in global health continue to influence the effectiveness, inclusivity, and sustainability of health interventions and policies. Addressing these issues involves not only technical solutions but also thoughtful consideration of how research is conducted, including attention to partnership dynamics, decision-making processes, and the inclusion of locally relevant perspectives. 

At the core of this shift is a call towards genuinely equitable partnerships, an approach that aligns closely with the mission of the Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute (RGHI).In response to the urgent need for decolonised public health practices, RGHI has designed two key funding mechanisms that place equitable collaboration at the heart of research and ensure locally led research leads to changes in policy and practice: the International Collaboration Award (ICA)  and the  Collaboration Accelerator Award (CAA).

The ICA is designed to ensure that research partnerships are rooted in mutual benefit, co-creation, and local leadership. Too often, global health research reinforces power imbalances, with institutions in high-income countries driving the agenda. The ICA actively encourages partnerships where LMIC researchers and institutions lead and shape the research in ways that are contextually relevant and sustainable. This award prioritises reciprocal partnerships, ensuring that decision-making power, funding allocation, and research ownership are shared. By embedding equity at every stage (from proposal development to dissemination), the ICA is a step towards impact, which is defined and led by local priorities. 

Complementing this is the Collaboration Accelerator Award (CAA), which addresses a key challenge in global health, the gap between knowledge generation and real-world implementation. This award ensures that policy and practice partners are integrated from the inception of research projects, creating a framework where findings are immediately relevant and actionable. The CAA  requires collaboration between researchers and policymakers or practitioners from the start. By embedding policy and/or practice stakeholders and frontline implementers within the research process, the CAA helps ensure that findings are not just published but actively inform policies, guidelines, and interventions that improve public health outcomes. 

The future of public health must be built on equitable, inclusive, and sustainable partnerships. By launching the ICA and CAA, RGHI is confirming its commitment to transforming the way global health research is conducted and applied. These awards set a new standard for decolonising global health, shifting power to those most impacted by health inequities and ensuring that research leads to systemic change.