Helping you develop safe, inclusive, impactful organisations

Our Approach

We are an evidence-led consultancy helping universities, and public and non-profit organisations achieve growth, impact and innovation in a global context. We develop strategic solutions that address governance, compliance, and transformation to organisational culture in an increasingly complex environment. We are a collaborative organisation and we centre inclusion. We work to shift power to maximise change and impact.

About Us

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Sapna and her team worked closely with us to co-design and deliver an innovative shadow committee structure for our major research committees. This led to much wider engagement in research governance by staff who had little experience in this space but who were empowered by an extensive onboarding and ongoing training programme organised and delivered by Sapna’s team.

Staff involved feel motivated and enabled to take leadership roles as chairs and to use their voices powerfully in governance spaces both within and outside the university. I cannot recommend more highly!

Jane Macnaughton, Associate PVC Research Culture

Durham University

I really enjoyed working with Sapna, and we ended up with exactly what we asked for: a stronger due diligence process that focused as much on strengthening institutional capacity as it did on managing our risk as a funder.

Sapna listened to our concerns and questions, understood the brief, and was able to help us prioritise and make informed decisions about how to get this balance right for us and our applicants.

Emily Giles, Operations and Communications Manager

Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute

One of the most impactful aspects of the programme was the mentorship component, which enabled me to translate theoretical knowledge into concrete institutional strategies. This experience strengthened collaboration between the risk office, research support office, and international partnerships, contracting, and legal divisions at my institution, ensuring a more coordinated and proactive approach to safeguarding research and innovation. These strengthened relationships have led to ongoing work on a comprehensive data and research security guideline, supported by a broader policy framework that will enhance our institution’s ability to manage research risks effectively.

Dr Palesa Mothapo, Participant

Our Values

Our work is underpinned by a set of values which emphasise what’s important to us and guide how we behave.

Inclusive

We are inclusive in our principles and our practice seeking to shift power to those traditionally excluded.

Transparent

We work with integrity, taking an open and honest approach. We work with clarity and purpose and hold ourselves accountable to our commitments.

Innovative

We pioneer transformative approaches in the research sector building inclusive leadership and sustainable cultures where everyone is empowered.

Collaborative

We listen to and learn from everyone involved, ensuring all voices are heard and inviting their active engagement in developing collective solutions.

Insights

Our latest thoughts.

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Securing equity: why research security must be built on trust and collaboration

Research security has become a central feature of global research governance. Yet, as these agendas develop, they can clash with other foundational principles of research. Equitable partnerships is one point of tension that’s received less focus. As a result, well-intentioned security measures can inadvertently undermine the very values that make research collaborative, inclusive, and impactful. The rise of research security: A growing field

Apr 63 min read

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Trustees and remuneration: three myths that are holding us back

Efforts to strengthen equity, representation, and inclusion across the third sector often focus on recruitment, culture, and governance processes. Yet one area remains curiously resistant to change: trustee remuneration. Concerns about affordability, regulatory barriers, or reputational risk continue to overshadow more constructive discussion. But many of these concerns are rooted in myths rather than reality. Below, we unpack the three most persistent myths

Mar 94 min read

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Are we reducing research security risk, or just shifting it around?

In an era of heightened geopolitical tension, research security has shot to the top of policy agendas worldwide. Governments and institutions are implementing new measures intended to safeguard sensitive science against threats like espionage, theft, and undue foreign influence. The Flagship EU Conference on Research Security, held recently in Brussels, underscored the urgency: for the first time, the European Union announced plans to anchor research security in EU law via

Feb 106 min read