Decolonising North–South Research Collaborations: An Analysis of Equitable Authorship and Leadership Models in Moroccan Health Consortia

This original research article critically examines persistent power asymmetries within North–South health research collaborations, using Morocco as a case study. It assesses whether contemporary research consortia (2021–2026) have adopted equitable authorship and leadership models consistent with decolonial principles. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study analysed authorship, funding flows, and institutional leadership in 17 multinational health consortia involving Moroccan and Global North partners. Concurrently, 42 semi-structured interviews were conducted with African and Northern principal investigators and early-career researchers to capture perceptions of equity and decision-making. Findings indicate a modest but significant increase in first and senior authorship for Moroccan researchers in post-2023 publications. Nevertheless, consortium leadership and budgetary control remain predominantly with Northern institutions, sustaining epistemic dependency. The analysis delineates three emergent collaboration models, the most equitable of which are those co-designed with shared governance from inception. The study contends that without deliberate structural reforms in funding and governance, decolonisation rhetoric remains disconnected from practice. It concludes by proposing a framework for African-led partnership protocols, arguing that equitable authorship is only one component within the imperative for systemic power redistribution in global health research.