Research Philanthropy Advisors
Discovery with purpose.
We help funders of scientific research design, run, and improve the programs that get money to the right projects.
We're a collaborative of independent senior consultants in the UK, US, and Canada. No associates and no account managers: the expert you brief is the expert who does the work.
IS THIS YOU?
Where we come in
You're setting up a new foundation
…and want your first program designed properly, not assembled under deadline 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 program 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 & program 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.
Grants operations &systems
Program implementation and management. Grants management systems. Open science and research output tracking. Support for high-potential grantees and sub-award programs.
Team capability
Staff training and mentoring. Executive advising. Facilitation and convenings. Organizational 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-program foundations to established grantmakers
→ Organizations running competitive funding processes, or planning their first
→ Teams who want to build internal capability, not just buy delivery
→ 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
→ You need a large delivery team rather than senior advisory capacity
→ 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: program direction at major research funders, portfolios in the hundreds of millions, and operational responsibility for large open science initiatives.
