This toolkit is divided into two main parts. Part One offers an orientation to the program’s history, values, goals, and theory-driven approaches that anchor our work in building a more competitive national research ecosystem, one that leverages innovation, scientific advancements, and talent from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs). Part Two provides a structured roadmap for consultants supporting the Intensive Cohort model, a two-year strategy to strengthen research capacity at sixteen institutions through strategic partnerships and targeted infrastructure investments. Each part includes consultant considerations, recommended practices, and, where available, practical tools to guide implementation. Our goal is to offer consultants the structure and strategy needed to foster authentic, context-informed, and asset-based partnerships that support institutions in sustainably strengthening their research infrastructure and activity as a complement to consultants’ individual experiences and expertise.