Catalogue of Competencies
Competency Domain 2. Responsible conduct of science in the field of global health
Competency 2.1. Demonstrate knowledge of, sensitivity to and the ability to apply, respond to and adapt the foundational principles, conventions and regulations of good scientific practice and research ethics in global health.
Non-exhaustive examples include: acting with respect and integrity; responsible use of data and data protection; considering aspects of equity, and sustainability as well as environmental factors (e.g. own carbon emissions) and impacts of research; and considering the legal provisions and respective context. It also includes reflection on power and one’s own positionality (see “explenatroy note” below). These aspects are particularly important when working with communities in situations of vulnerability and marginalisation and with international collaborators and in international contexts. E.g., in international partnerships, researchers from low- and middle-income countries are often included in the middle of the authorship list, rather than the prominent first or last author positions. |
Explanatory note: Power is understood as the ability to influence the thinking and/or actions of others (e.g. individuals, groups and organisations) as well as events, resources or outcomes.[1],[2] Power can take different forms (e.g. physical, economic, structural, institutional, moral, expertise, discursive, and network).[1], It can also derive from multiple sources (e.g. technical expertise, political power, bureaucratic power, financial power, networks and access, personal attributes), and can be visible/explicit as well as invisible/implicit. [3] Positionality refers to a person´s social, cultural and political position in relation to others. Reflexivity is the process of critically reflecting on one´s own position, perspectives, practices, motives and biases within the research or social context and fosters/promotes researchers to acknowledge their positionality. This emphasis the relevance of power dynamics in affecting decision-making, knowledge production and relationships.[4] There is increasing recognition of the need to build capacity to analyse and take action on issues of power and positionality, as part of efforts to address colonial legacies and epistemic injustice in the field of global health research.[5] [1] Moon S: Power in global governance: an expanded typology from global health. Globalization and Health 2019; 15(Suppl 1): 74. doi: 10.1186/s12992-019-0515-5. [2] Fergus CA: Power across the global health landscape: a network analysis of development assistance 1990-2015. Health Policy and Planning 2022;37(6): 779–790. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czac025. [3] Sriram V, Topp SM, Schaaf M, Mishra A, Flores W, Rajasulochana SR, Scott L: 10 best resources on power in health policy and systems in low- and middle-income countries. Health Policy and Planning 2018;33(4): 611–621. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czy008. [4] Naidu T, Gingell G & Zaidi Z: Decolonial framework for applying reflexivity and positionality in global health research. Global Health Promotion 2024;31(2): 52–58. doi: 10.1177/17579759241238016. [5] Bhakuni H & Abimbola S: Epistemic injustice in academic global health. The Lancet Global Health 2021:9(10); e1465–e1470. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(21)00301-6. |
- Basic level: Know about, comprehend and demonstrate sensitivity to the above-mentioned foundational principles and requirements of good scientific practice and research ethics in global health.
- Skilled level: Demonstrate sensitivity to and appropriately apply under supervision the above-mentioned foundational principles and requirements of good scientific practice and research ethics in global health.
- Advanced level: Demonstrate sensitivity to and independently apply, adapt, evaluate and further advance the above-mentioned foundational principles and requirements of good scientific practice and research ethics in global health.
Competency 2.2. Demonstrate knowledge of and the ability to apply the fundamental norms and values of global health, namely health equity, human rights, and considerations for environmental and ecological sustainability, as principles and approaches in global health research. The human rights and equity perspective in particular requires attention to gender equality, intersectionality as well as the awareness of obstacles that hinder their progressive achievement.
- Basic level: Know about, comprehend and demonstrate sensitivity to the above-mentioned principles and approaches, and the role of inequity, gender inequality, intersectionality, and environmental factors and the obstacles to meet human rights as fundamental drivers of global health issues.
- Skilled level: Demonstrate sensitivity to and appropriately apply under supervision the above-mentioned principles and approaches in the planning, design, conduct, evaluation and reporting of global health research and practice as a researcher in this field, including to understand obstacles to their implementation.
- Advanced level: Demonstrate sensitivity to and independently apply, adapt, evaluate and further advance the above-mentioned principles and approaches in the planning, design, conduct, evaluation and reporting of global health research and practice as a researcher in this field, including to understand obstacles to their implementation.
Competency 2.3. Demonstrate knowledge of, sensitivity to and ability to apply and adapt structural competencies, i.e. linking health issues to upstream social factors, and competencies related to cultural diversity in global health research.
- Basic level: Know about, comprehend and demonstrate sensitivity to the principles and competencies related to cultural diversity and structural competency.
- Skilled level: Demonstrate sensitivity to and appropriately apply under supervision the principles and competencies related to cultural diversity and structural competency.
- Advanced level: Demonstrate sensitivity to and independently apply, adapt, evaluate and further advance the principles and competencies related to cultural diversity and structural competency, in the planning, design, conduct, evaluation and reporting of global health research.
Competency 2.4. Demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of the historical and political context of global health and of science, and their ongoing influence on global health research, including political ideologies, colonial continuities, political conflict legacies and globalisation.
Non-exhaustive examples of political ideologies include: racism; slavery; colonialism and (neo)imperialism; Cold War/East-West conflict legacies; fundamentalism and ideological totalitarianism; authoritarianism and nationalism; global capitalism, neoliberalism and free market ideologies, among others. |
- Basic level: Know about and comprehend the historical and political context of global health research and the above-mentioned ongoing impact and power dynamics (including historical continuities) that shape global health as well as scientific and research structures, systems, practices and partnerships.
- Skilled level: Demonstrate comprehension of and address (rather than reinforce) under supervision the historical and political context including the above-mentioned ideological continuities and ongoing power dynamics of global health research in the planning, design, conduct, evaluation and reporting of research.
- Advanced level: Independently demonstrate comprehension of, evaluate and address (rather than reinforce) the historical and political context, including the above-mentioned ideological continuities and ongoing power dynamics of global health research in the planning, design, conduct, evaluation and reporting of research.