In this article the authors, who are both collaborators in this project, reflect on the challenges faced in developing and sustaining an emancipatory research framework approach to our research network in the context of radically shifting ideals and objectives for higher education in all partner institutions. The article is focused around interview data and evaluations from all participants in the project: these include the over-arching research coalition between our institutional, public and community stakeholders; as well as the research partnerships on the ground, where individual projects are being carried out. We note that despite quite different institutional contexts and conditions, we are able to trace a common narrative as well as a set of common concerns regarding our efforts to build capacity, deliver research outputs and develop emancipatory research praxis within our network.