Research Strategy Excellence

 This service is designed for:

• Vice Presidents for Research 
• Associate / Assistant VPs 
• Deans and Associate Deans for Research 
• Sponsored Programs, Compliance, and Research Finance Leadership 
• Institutions preparing for growth, audits, or transition 

If your research operation feels capable but strained, this work is for you.

 Institutions seek Research Strategy Excellence when they face:

• Fragmented pre- and post-award workflows 
• Increased audit exposure or compliance risk 
• Staffing shortages impacting performance and morale 
• Rapid growth without scalable systems 
• Leadership transitions or structural reorganization 
• Misalignment between policy, practice, and accountability 

These challenges are rarely isolated. They are systemic—and require strategic solutions.

 Purple Sheep Consulting takes a systems-level view of research administration.

Our work integrates:

• People – role clarity, leadership alignment, and capacity 
• Process – workflows, handoffs, and operational efficiency 
• Policy – compliance with federal regulations and institutional standards 
• Practice – real-world execution grounded in experience 

We meet institutions where they are—and help them move forward with intention.

 Each engagement is tailored, but often includes:

• Research administration assessments 
• Pre- and post-award workflow analysis 
• Compliance and risk review 
• Role clarity and governance alignment 
• Strategic recommendations and implementation support 
• Leadership advising during periods of change 

The result is clarity you can act on, not reports that sit on a shelf.

Clients partner with Purple Sheep Consulting to achieve:

• Stronger research governance and accountability 
• Reduced audit and compliance risk 
• Improved operational confidence and consistency 
• Clearer leadership decision-making 
• Systems that support growth without burnout 

Our goal is not just improvement—it is institutional resilience.

What sets this work apart:

• Led by senior-level research administration expertise 
• Grounded in federal regulations and best practices 
• Informed by lived experience across diverse institutions 
• Collaborative, not prescriptive 
• Focused on long-term impact, not short-term fixes 

We aim to inspire, not compete—and to leave institutions stronger than we found them.