Often, the most effective way to unlock the perspective and insight you need is to talk to or work with an expert; a specialist in the relevant discipline or field with a deep knowledge of the topic.

Cognous specialises in sourcing academic and scientific research expertise to meet your knowledge needs for short-term and extended engagements. You can be on the phone, in a meeting, or collaborating on a project with an expert, carefully selected, within a short time.

Our global knowledge network extends across hundreds of disciplines within the following clusters:

• Engineering and Environmental Sciences

• Economics and Commerce

• Mathematical, Information and Computing Sciences

• Biological and Biotechnological Sciences

• Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences

• Medical and Health Sciences

• Humanities and Creative Arts

• Education and Human Society

Cognous offers research knowledge services in multiple formats

Phone Conversations

Telephone interviews provide rapid access to and understanding of specialist knowledge

In-Person Discussions

Face-to-face meetings facilitate relationship development and more effective collaboration

Extended Engagements

Workshops, seminars, and other structured knowledge-sharing events enable wider participation and engagement

Customised reports and analyses targeted at client-specific challenges and timeframes

Examples of Extended Engagement applications:

• Expert Witness

• Technical Due Diligence

• Literature Search

• Statistical Analysis

• Data Science

• Experimental Design

• Surveys

• Problem Solving

• Editing / Fact-Checking

• Quality Assurance

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why might clients need Cognous's services?

When you want to engage with leading academics and scientific researchers with the qualifications and knowledge to answer your questions and deliver authoritative insight and perspective, Cognous will source these experts for clients to talk to and work with.

Are the experts full-time consultants?

The academics and scientific researchers we work with are not full-time consultants nor are they actively seeking consulting work. As a result, we operate a personal, high-touch service to make sure the interactions arranged are of the highest relevance without wasting time for either our clients or experts.

What kind of information can clients get from the experts?

Almost anything provided it is not confidential. For example, if a client is researching the launch of a new biomedical product in a foreign market they could speak to marketing researchers whose expertise is in that foreign location or scientists who have developed similar products. Or perhaps a client is producing a report on policy and regulatory implications of a particular technology; they could speak to academics who are already working in that field.

What about confidentiality and compliance?

We treat confidentiality seriously. It is part of our strict compliance policy. An expert can and will decline to divulge any confidential or material non-public information. As well as their agreement with Cognous, experts may be bound by any existing employment contracts they have elsewhere and they are expected to not transgress those. If you have specific concerns you can discuss them with Cognous.

How does the process work?

After we receive a knowledge brief from a client, we search our network for experts whose experience and expertise match the specific topic at hand. After we identify qualified experts, we reach out to ensure that the brief is a good fit, and to make sure that he/she is available to engage. If, for example, the client wishes to talk over the phone with an expert, we then schedule the interaction at the client’s convenience and send a confirmation email for the call.

How does Cognous charge for providing its services?

Cognous works on a fee for service basis, charging clients a brokerage fee for sourcing and placing experts for knowledge engagements.