INTRODUCTION:
Collaborative research across countries has become increasingly important in addressing global public health threats, optimizing public health resources, and standardizing public health interventions. Recognizing the potential for advancement among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, where diverse perspectives and expertise are harmonized, while encouraging and streamlining collaborative efforts among researchers across the region, is needed. The objectives were for the Gulf Center for Disease Prevention and Control to understand the essential elements for research organizational structure and to build a practical matrix for consistent, ethical, and well-coordinated multi-country research across GCC member states.

METHODS:
The method consists of three phases. First, we highlight the best global practices for organizational structure based on the relevant literature review. Second, we developed a classification for levels of reporting and types of committees at each level with clearly defined responsibilities. Third, using an e-Delphi approach, we shared with stakeholders. The feedback was summarized.

RESULTS:
Responders expressed their preferences for the organization structure and committees of a collaborative research team to be formed of three levels: oversight, coordination, and conduct. In each level an assigned committee will handle responsibilities. The Steering Committee oversees project initiation, protocol development, monitoring, and reporting, supported by Gulf CDC. The Regional Committee manages coordination, ensuring standardized methodology, training, and progress reporting, while the Local Committee conducts fieldwork, data collection, and submission. Based on the results, a matrix integrating the levels of reporting interactions with each committee's responsibilities has been developed.

CONCLUSIONS:
A matrix was created to align e-Delphi results with best practices for the structure and levels of reporting. The matrix simplifies the process of conducting collaborative research within the center and promotes interaction with the specific roles of committees and networks. This matrix can also serve as a reference for building a collaborative research structure with cross-sectional functions.