How and where can I seek help regarding research outside of my university?
Are there any universities in your area?  Problems like yours happen, and there are often kindly professors who will understand and take in academic refugees of various sorts, especially if what you are primarily looking for is advice and not funding.

In approaching a possible professor for advice, however, you need to make sure you're asking for an appropriate level of interaction.  Do not show up and say, "Please will you become the supervisor of somebody totally unknown to you on a possibly very time-consuming project?"  Have a particular specific question about something small that is your next step, and in the email you use to introduce yourself, ask if they would be willing to meet briefly to give some advice on that question or to if they could point you to somebody who would be better to talk to.

You need to be fairly independent and willing to get help and advice from many different people, if necessary.  You also need to understand that you will be generally the lowest priority of anybody that you talk to, and not feel discouraged if some people don't respond.