Leaving no-one behind in Research

Three paradoxes in global research ethics seriously harm vulnerable populations. First, health research works. Yet, to protect vulnerable populations from exploitation, they are often excluded from it. Second, international collaborative research works. Yet, major trust issues block collaborations with vulnerable populations who have previously been exploited.

Third, the further apart researcher and end-user experiences are, the more urgent the co-creation of research becomes.

Yet, successful co-creation methods for non-clinical health research with vulnerable populations in low and middle income countries (LMICs) barely exist. All three paradoxes restrict non-clinical health research in LMICs.

Leaving no one behind in research will build an extensive research agenda to tackle all three paradoxes by: - radically rethinking the concept of vulnerability and what appropriate protection mechanisms for the vulnerable would look like. - enabling indigenous peoples and sex worker teams to define what vulnerability means to them and how they want to be protected in research. - developing a humanities method for non-clinical health research that would make research less risky for vulnerable populations.

The above will be achieved by a highly-experienced research leader and her UK team in a network with two African teams representing vulnerable populations.