Research Philanthropy Advisors
Discovery with purpose.
We help scientific research funders design, run, and improve the programmes that get funds to the right projects.
A collaborative of independent senior consultants across the UK, US, and Canada. No associates, no account layers — the expert you brief is the expert who delivers.
IS THIS YOU?
Where we come in
You're setting up a new foundation
…and want the first programme designed properly rather than assembled under time pressure.
You're running your first open call
…and would rather not learn the hard lessons on live applicants.
Your review process is buckling
... and application volume has outgrown the way you assess it, and reviewers are stretched thin.
Your grants administration has outgrown its systems
…and the workarounds are becoming the process.
You've funded good work for years
…but can't clearly show what it produced.
Your team is small and the programme is large
...and you need senior capacity without a permanent hire.
Something else? Get in touch →
WHAT WE DO
Scoped around your situation, not sold as a package
No two engagements look the same. Most of our work falls somewhere in these four areas, often several at once.
Strategy & programme design
Launching new foundations. Landscape analysis and planning. Theory of change, evaluation and learning. Building coalitions and partnerships.
Funding calls & RFPs
Call design, proposal forms, applicant outreach, review structures and selection tooling — including staged review, partial lotteries and double-blind assessment.
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Grants operations &systems
Programme implementation and management. Grants management systems. Open science and research output tracking. Support for high-potential grantees and sub-award programmes.
Team capability
Staff training and mentoring. Executive advising. Facilitation and convenings. Organisational culture.
How we work
A collaborative, not a firm with a bench to fill
Each engagement is scoped to what you need and led by the consultant best suited to it, drawing in colleagues only where the work calls for them. You get senior attention without paying for infrastructure you don't use.
FIT
Where We Fit Best
We work well with...
→ Funders of scientific research, from single-programme foundations to established grantmakers
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→ Organisations running competitive funding processes, or planning their first
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→ Teams who want to build internal capability, not just buy delivery
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→ Funders who care about how decisions get made, not only what gets decided
We're probably not the right choice if...
→ You fund in areas outside of scientific research
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→ You need a large delivery team rather than senior advisory capacity
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→ You're looking for fundraising or development support — we work with funders, not grantseekers
THE PEOPLE
Three independent consultants and two specialist advisors
Between us: programme direction at major research funders, portfolios in the hundreds of millions, and operational responsibility for large open science initiatives.
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