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Governance

Transparent, inclusive, and accountable leadership

How APCC is governed

APCC operates under a transparent, inclusive governance structure that balances three things:

Scientific leadership
African cohort leaders set the direction, through the Steering Committee, with independent advice from international experts.
Member accountability
Every full member cohort has a seat on the Members Council, APCC's highest decision-making body.
Participant voice
Representatives of cohort participants shape research priorities and ethics through the Participant Forum.

Our governance model ensures that decisions are made collaboratively, with strong representation from African cohort leaders and meaningful input from the communities we serve.

Illustration: consortium members seated around one table, with Africa at the centre

Governance principles

  • Transparency

    All governance processes, decisions, and financial matters are documented and accessible to members.

  • Inclusivity

    Representation from diverse cohorts, regions, and career stages ensures broad perspectives.

  • Accountability

    Leadership is accountable to the Members Council and reports regularly on progress and finances.

  • Ethics-centred

    Ethical considerations are central to all decisions, with strong emphasis on participant protection.

Governance bodies

Three bodies make and carry out decisions; two more bring in the voices of participants and independent experts.

  • Highest decision-making body

    Members Council

    The Members Council is the highest decision-making body of APCC. Each full member cohort nominates one representative to serve on the Council.

    Composition & meetings
    One representative per full member cohort, meets annually during the Annual General Meeting (AGM)
    Key responsibilities
    Approve strategic direction and research priorities, elect Steering Committee members, and hold leadership accountable
  • Strategic oversight

    Steering Committee

    The Steering Committee provides strategic oversight and direction for APCC. It is responsible for guiding programmes, evaluating membership applications, and ensuring alignment with continental priorities.

    Current status
    APCC is currently led by an Interim Steering Committee (ISC) of 15 members — elected and co-opted representatives from across Africa
    Key responsibilities
    Set strategic direction between AGMs, oversee research programmes, evaluate membership applications, and approve partnerships
  • Operational support

    Secretariat

    The Secretariat manages day-to-day operations, coordination, and communications for APCC. It is hosted by the Science for Africa Foundation under a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

    Hosting
    Science for Africa Foundation (SFA) provides administrative, governance, and operational support under a formal MoU
    Key responsibilities
    Coordinate meetings and communications, support workstreams and committees, manage membership processes, and organize Annual General Meetings
  • Community voice

    Participant Forum

    Cohort participants are the heart of APCC. The Participant Forum is a dedicated platform at the Annual Meeting where representatives of cohort participants provide perspectives on research priorities and ethical considerations.

    Composition & meetings
    Participant representatives nominated by member cohorts, convenes during the Annual General Meeting
    Key role
    Provide input on research priorities, advise on ethical considerations, and ensure community perspectives inform APCC strategy
  • Expert advice

    Independent Advisory Council

    An external body of international experts that provides independent scientific and strategic advice to the Steering Committee, ensuring APCC aligns with global best practices.

    Composition
    International experts in longitudinal research, ethics, health systems, and data governance
    Key role
    Provide independent scientific advice, review research strategies and priorities, and promote alignment with global standards

Data governance & stewardship

APCC operates on a data stewardship model, not a data ownership model.

This means cohorts retain full ownership and control of their data, while APCC facilitates access, harmonization, and collaboration in ways that respect data sovereignty and participant rights.

Illustration: analysis requests travel to cohort sites and results return, while each cohort keeps its data locked at home

Data ownership

Cohort-controlled
  • Each cohort retains full ownership of its data
  • Cohorts decide who can access their data and under what conditions
  • No data transfer or pooling without explicit cohort consent
  • Cohorts can withdraw from APCC at any time
  • Participants' rights and informed consent are respected

APCC's role as steward

Facilitator & coordinator
  • Develop common data standards and metadata frameworks
  • Facilitate secure data access through Trusted Research Environments (TREs)
  • Coordinate multi-cohort research collaborations
  • Ensure ethical review and approval processes
  • Promote transparency and benefit sharing
  • Maintain a cohort capability matrix and metadata catalog

Core data governance principles

  • Sovereignty

    African cohorts control their own data

  • Security

    Data is protected through secure infrastructure

  • Transparency

    Clear processes for data access and use

  • Equity

    Fair benefit sharing and authorship practices

Data access & collaboration pathways

APCC offers multiple pathways for researchers, policymakers, and partners to access cohort data and collaborate on research projects. All pathways prioritize ethical review, cohort consent, and equitable partnerships.

  1. Explore cohort capabilities

    Browse the APCC Cohort Directory to identify cohorts with relevant data, populations, or research domains.

    Visit Cohort Directory

  2. Submit a research proposal

    Researchers can submit proposals for multi-cohort studies or request access to specific cohort datasets through the APCC Secretariat.

    Contact Secretariat

  3. Ethical review & approval

    All proposals undergo ethical review by relevant cohort ethics committees and/or APCC's ethics working group.

    Multi-site approvals are coordinated by APCC

  4. Data access agreement

    Approved researchers sign Data Access Agreements (DAAs) with participating cohorts, outlining terms of use, authorship, and benefit sharing.

    Templates provided by APCC

  5. Secure data access

    Access cohort data through secure Trusted Research Environments (TREs) or via cohort-specific data portals.

    No raw data leaves the secure environment

  6. Collaboration & publication

    Work collaboratively with cohort PIs and APCC working groups. All publications follow APCC authorship and acknowledgment guidelines.

    Open access publication encouraged

Types of collaboration

  • Multi-cohort studies

    Harmonized analysis across multiple APCC cohorts to increase statistical power and generalizability

  • Single cohort access

    Direct collaboration with individual cohorts for in-depth, context-specific research

  • Federated analysis

    Run analyses locally at each cohort site without moving data, then aggregate results

  • Capacity building

    Training programs and mentorship for early-career African researchers

Ready to collaborate?

Get in touch with the APCC Secretariat to discuss your research interests and explore collaboration opportunities.

Start a conversation

Governance documents

  • Governance Policy 2026

    Policy Doc

    PDF not yet available