Trophia is a group of scientists who provide each other with professional support, collectively develop a reputation for their research, and share overhead costs. The company, Trophia Limited, provides a professional, legal, financial and marketing entity for the group.

Trophia Limited  is owned by members who have earned 'Associate' status. The company issues shares to associates annually in proportion to their contribution, and distributes operating profits annually back to its shareholders. 

Trophia doesn't actively recruit, but encourages enquiries from scientists with proven expertise and established client credibility who want to work independently, by choice or due to personal circumstance; usually a desire to chose their work environment, to control their workload,  improve the quality of their output, and to work free of administrative distractions and managerial roles. 

Trophia Ltd is a pre-approved Provider of Research Services to the New Zealand Minister of Fisheries. As such, Trophia is invited by the Ministry to tender for projects offered under a contestable process and coordinates and assembles tender bids in the required format.  Major clients also include those Fishing Industry councils and Management Committees that purchase independent research directly.

Trophia facilitates the formation of project teams by providing a legal entity that has the necessary management, financial, insurance and quality assurance systems to undertake such projects.  Associates self-insure the committments and work-load of each other, for this reason, subject areas of proposed projects are closely monitored. 

Trophia Limited is funded by a levy added to the cost of projects. Management roles are taken by associates, and include those of Managing Director, Finance, Quality and Network Managers as well as project managers who are assigned to each project. The levy reimburses managers and covers overheads including the cost of  insurance, quality registration, and server. 

Total overheads are very low , and most of those overheads are  paid back to associates for management services. The benefits of a low overhead structure are shared by both clients and associates.

Project management ensures compliance with Trophia's quality management system, and includes the  provision of progress reports and invoices to clients, and the collection and distribution of fees to associates. Researchers have no invoicing responsibilities but are responsible for their own tax (including GST if a  New Zealand resident). 

Trophia has a quality management system that is accredited to International Standards Organisation (ISO) 9001:2000. Project Management and Quality Procedures are under constant review and are audited internally, and externally every year.

Quality Manuals and training are provided to all associates, but Project Managers assigned as part of each project team are repsonsible for ensuring compliance, thus freeing researchers of most administration tasks.