"Pure" research projects imply a research report; there may even be a dedicated phase where the research gets synthesized, reconceptualized, and shared back outwards. The report is shared, read, followed up on, and then, after some time, action is taken on it. Teams committed to topics with high complexity or uncertainty or delivering iteratively will struggle to integrate large scale research into their existing processes. 

Big questions or ambitions in this context cannot wait for a months-long research project, nor can they be answered well in one or two delivery cycles.

Consider how to frame a project that builds the research into the design process. An integrated design project led by an increasing fidelity of user-insight is rewarding for everyone involved: you make new sense and meaning quickly, are able to directly apply it, and your application guides the next layer of learning. The questions will be unique, but the type of question you ask follows a simple, predictable progression.
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Therefore, plan design projects with key research milestones. Identify the fidelity of your team's ideas in the larger design process. Structure activities to feed research activity at the predictable transition[s] between opportunity → problem → approach → solution → delivery, as the case may be. Use single-question investigations and their debrief time as a means to transmute understanding directly to design exploration.