Who can serve as a local collaborator?
Section 23 of the SBE requires Users to secure a local collaborating Sabah agency and an individual local collaborator who can supervise and monitor the research, meeting at least one of the following criteria:
- Expert in the field of the study/research where the researcher is involved with, or;
- Senior personnel with relevant experience or past involvement in the field of the research, or;
- Personnel appointed by the local collaborating agency based on relevant experience or past research involvement.
* For local undergraduates and local postgraduates, your research supervisor will act as your local collaborator.
Below are the roles and responsibilities of a local collaborator:
- You must confirm that the researcher holds an Access Licence issued by SaBC before they can proceed with their research activities.
- You shall observe that the researcher complies with all the procedures in order to collect the Access Licence.
- You must ensure that the researcher applies for a Professional Pass from the Immigration Department after he/she has received their Access Licence.
- You must ensure that the specimens collected during the research activities are not taken out of Sabah without proper authorisation from SBC.
- You must ensure that the outcome of the research will benefit the State of Sabah.
- You shall monitor the research activities so as not to affect the species population or causing damage to the ecology and the environment to preserve the image and the interest of the State.
- You shall report to SaBC on any complaints regarding the users' behaviour, malpractices, or wrongdoings throughout their research activities in Sabah.
- You are required to complete the MTD form and to verify that the biological resources or traditional knowledge associated with biological resources intended to be exported out of Sabah are listed within the Export Licence.
- You must confirm that the completed MTD form is submitted to SaBC before the researcher executes the shipment.
- You must ensure that all reports and research results are presented to the respective responsible departments and specifically to SaBC.
- You shall ensure that the researcher must return the exported biological resources to you once the research has been completed.
- You must notify the researcher’s research publication/articles or new species to SBC.
- You must ensure that the users obey the terms and conditions stated in the Access and Export Licence.
