Hire the Best Research & Development Freelancers
in the United States

Clients rate our Research & Development professionals
Rating is 4.8 out of 5.
4.8/5
Based on 185 client reviews

Elissa V.

15+ Year "All-In-One" Startup Expert | Research, Plan, Present, Launch

Phoenix, Arizona
$35 per hour
268 jobs
$200K+ total earnings

...do you have a have a startup idea that you need to validate & build? ...or an existing business that you need to fine tune with research & development, to be Go To Market Ready? Hello I'm Elissa & thank you for visiting my profile! I am a 5★ UpWork Expert Vetted All-In-One startup and business consultant from Arizona, United States, and in the past 15+ years, I've have partnered with over 250+ founders around the world to achieve startup success in various stages of development: DISCOVER, PLAN, LAUNCH & GROW STAGES. No matter where you are in your startup journey, I provide all resources from A-Z. ***Let's set up a free (15-min) call to discuss your needs, and set up a game plan*** MY EXPERTISE AT A GLANCE: ★ Market Research & Feasibility Analysis: Actionable insights to validate and refine your business ideas. ★ Startup MVP Development: From concepting to wireframing, ensuring your product meets market needs. ★ Strategic Business Planning: End-to-end business plans, financial modeling, and investor-ready pitch deck presentations. ★ Branding & Positioning: Unique strategies that make your brand stand out in competitive markets. ★ Go-to-Market Strategy: Execution plans tailored to target demographics, including customer journey optimization. HIGHLIGHTS OF SUCCESS: ★ $10M+ investor funding unlocked for various clients with market-ready business plans. ★ Led 250+ startups to success, including SaaS, tech, healthcare, and consumer brands. ★ Empowered WIN Energy Drink to refine its buyer personas, optimize feasibility studies, and craft an investor-winning pitch deck. ★ Partnered with LocalFarmOK to build a robust urban farm event business plan, attracting new markets and investors. CLIENT FEEDBACK SPEAKS VOLUMES: “Her business plan and market insights transformed our pitch deck into a winning tool. Within months, we secured our first round of funding!” – Local Farm OK, Founder “Elissa's guidance on scaling our MVP saved us six months of trial and error. A game-changer for our operations.” – WIN Energy Drink, CEO WHY CHOOSE ME? ★ Over 15 years of startup experience and entrepreneurial excellence ★ Expert Vetted by UpWork, having coached over 250+ startups worldwide ★ "Quality and professional" work is the core standard for all deliverables ★ Proven ability to drive long-term growth while mitigating risks ★ Transparent, collaborative, and committed to your success HOW CAN WE START? Book a free (15-min) consultation call today to discuss your business goals. Together, let’s: ★ Solve your most pressing challenges. ★ Align your vision with a data-backed strategy. ★ Create results that make your startup thrive. Ready to elevate your business? Let’s start now.

Wendy D.

Strategic Research | Public Records | Grant & Funder Research

Franklin, Tennessee
$65 per hour
31 jobs
$100K+ total earnings

Good research is not about collecting more information. It is about knowing where to look, filtering out the noise, and building the most accurate picture the evidence allows. I help organizations and professionals answer difficult questions, understand complex requirements, and make better-informed decisions. STRATEGIC RESEARCH For questions that require research across multiple sources, including public records, government data, policies, regulations, and other authoritative materials. Projects may involve program development, policy or regulatory questions, comparative research, or developing a clearer understanding of a complex issue before making a decision. RISK ANALYSIS & COMPLIANCE For projects that require review of requirements, policies, procedures, or established standards to identify potential gaps or areas of concern. This may include federal grant compliance research, procurement requirements, policy and procedure review, or clarification of compliance and risk considerations before key decisions are made. GRANT & FUNDER RESEARCH For organizations that need help identifying funding opportunities or determining which funders are aligned with their work. Services may include grant prospect research, funder history and giving patterns, eligibility and fit assessment, and deeper research into public or private funding sources. My career began in court-based research, where I conducted more than 1,000,000 public record searches for consumer reporting agencies, attorneys, private investigators, and title companies nationwide. I now bring that research experience to a broader range of projects, supported by a master’s degree in criminal justice and forensic psychology and formal training in grant writing. I am especially interested in work involving criminal justice, child protection, education, and other projects where the right information can clarify a difficult decision. If this feels like a fit, I would love to hear about your project.

Katharine S.

Science and Writing Specialist

Saint Paul, Minnesota
$70 per hour
86 jobs
$100K+ total earnings

I am a former biomedical researcher with a knack for writing and an eye for detail. My skill sets include writing scientific articles, technical content and web copy; editing manuscripts, technical writing and grant proposals; and designing and troubleshooting experiments. I find projects that allow me to make complex, technical subject matter accessible and compelling to any individual particularly rewarding, and my broad skill set and experience make me an ideal candidate for projects in small businesses, research labs and startups. My professional experience began as an award-winning biology instructor at the college and university levels, teaching entry- through graduate-level courses for over three years. Over the next decade, I performed highly technical heart research, where I discovered a new form of dilated cardiomyopathy and developed and implemented a gene therapy treatment in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. I now work exclusively as a science consultant and freelance writer.

Kristen L.

Market Research + Competitive Analysis | AI Fact Checker

Houston, Texas
$125 per hour
436 jobs
$800K+ total earnings

🥇 Expert-Vetted - Upwork's Top 1% of talent🥇 For over 20 years, I have been ranked as the top American researcher on Upwork. Trusted by Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, IKEA, P&G, Medtronic, Harvard Business School, and members of several Fortune 500 Private Talent Clouds on Upwork. What I deliver: • Market Research: Market sizing, opportunity analysis, and industry deep-dives using primary and secondary sources. Full access to IBISWorld, Mintel, Euromonitor Passport, and Statista. Custom surveys available. • Competitive Analysis: A structured 3-stage review of competitor products, services, value propositions, and business models, so you know exactly where you stand. • AI Fact-Checking, Audit & Human Review: Expert human review and audit of AI-generated content. I fact-check claims, catch hallucinations, verify sources and audit accuracy. • Best Practice + Benchmark Research: The proven processes and standards that outperform in your industry. • Academic + Scientific Research: Peer-reviewed, defensible sourcing (education, psychology, medical, economics, public policy, etc.). • Writing + Reporting: Whitepapers, formal reports, and literature reviews that turn findings into something you can act on and share. How I work: Clear scope up front, primary + secondary sourcing and a report structured for decision making. My work has informed publications in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and top peer-reviewed journals. If you have a market to understand, a competitor to size up, or a question that needs a defensible answer - send me the details and I'll tell you exactly how I'd approach it.

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