Research Finance • Awards, People & Programs

Know where your research funding stands.

Connect awards, spending, payroll, billing, and reporting—so your research leaders can see the financial picture and make informed decisions.

Pennies Count brings forensic-minded financial oversight to research organizations and foundations managing complex grants, contracts, and portfolios.

Let’s Talk It Through

Complimentary 30-minute conversation. Confidential and judgment-free.

When the pieces don’t line up

Can everyone see the same financial story?

  • PI reports and accounting records don’t seem to agree.
  • Payroll allocations or IPA/JPA reimbursements raise questions.
  • Remaining balances don’t clearly reflect commitments.
  • Billing, reconciliations, or closeouts keep falling behind.
  • Leadership needs clearer visibility across the portfolio.

Connect the financial pieces

See beyond the transaction.

Research finance connects award terms, project activity, people, accounting, and oversight. We look at those relationships to understand whether your financial information tells a consistent, supportable story.

That perspective helps identify gaps, explain emerging concerns, and bring clearer information to PIs, research administrators, and leadership.

Support across your research portfolio

Clearer reporting. Stronger financial connections.

PI reporting & burn-rate visibility

Understand spending, remaining funding, budget-to-actual variances, and emerging financial concerns through clearer project reporting.

IPA & JPA financial oversight

Connect agreement terms with payroll, timekeeping, salary and benefits, billing, reimbursement, and supporting documentation.

Grant & contract finance

Bring award budgets, expenditures, allocations, billing, funding periods, and reporting requirements into a consistent financial picture.

Indirect costs & cost allocation

Examine indirect cost treatment, applicable rate agreements, and allocation practices as part of the agreed scope.

Audit & Single Audit readiness

Review reconciliations, award documentation, financial reports, and SEFA-related information to identify areas needing attention.

Award closeout readiness

Identify unresolved financial items, reconcile activity, and review supporting documentation before final reporting and closeout.

Experience behind the perspective

A forensic lens. Practical research-finance experience.

20+ years in nonprofit accounting, a master’s degree in Forensic Accounting, and prior public accounting experience auditing nonprofit organizations.

Hands-on experience with grants, contracts, PI reporting, IPA/JPA agreements, payroll allocations, billing, reconciliations, and audit readiness connects the review perspective with the realities of financial operations.

Choose your starting point

A first look, a focused review, or ongoing support.

Complimentary risk assessment

Take an initial look at the financial infrastructure supporting your research. Fifteen questions, approximately five minutes, and no financial records required.

Take the Research Finance Assessment →

Research Finance Review

A focused examination of selected processes, with findings, financial risks, priority areas, recommendations, and a plain-English leadership debrief. Scope and fees reflect your portfolio’s size and complexity.

Explore the Research Finance Review →

The assessment is an informational screening tool. It is not an audit, attestation engagement, or compliance opinion.

Ongoing financial oversight

Discuss support for recurring reporting, award monitoring, reconciliations, and financial coordination across your portfolio.

Broader financial leadership

Explore Fractional Controller support for accounting operations or Fractional CFO support for planning and strategic decisions.

How we work together

Start with the concern. Define the right scope.

1. Understand

Discuss your portfolio, systems, reporting needs, and the financial questions you want to resolve.

2. Focus

Agree on the processes, information, responsibilities, and deliverables appropriate to the engagement.

3. Clarify

Connect the findings to financial risks, priorities, and practical next steps for your team.

What’s on your mind?

You don't have to know what the problem is to start the conversation.

Bring the report that doesn’t make sense, the unresolved reconciliation, or the question about your research funding. We’ll start by listening.

Let’s Talk It Through

Complimentary 30-minute conversation.
Confidential and judgment-free.

Clearer Financial Information Behind Your Research

Pennies Count helps research organizations connect awards, PI reporting, personnel allocations, billing, reconciliations and closeout. Start with a complimentary assessment if you are unsure where to look, or discuss a scoped review or ongoing support if you already know the concern.

Answer 15 questions in approximately five minutes. Your responses provide an initial picture of areas that may deserve closer attention, with practical next steps. No financial records or confidential research information are required.

Let’s Talk It Through

Take the Research Finance Risk Assessment

Complimentary • Approximately 5 minutes • No financial records required