McAllister & Quinn has been working with our clients on submitting competitive Congressionally Directed Spending (Earmark) requests to their congressional representatives, in addition to our primary work on competitive grants. We have secured millions of dollars for local projects critical to the success and growth of their institutions.
Below are a few examples of our Small to Mid-Sized College and University client earmark successes over the past few years.
Agnes Scott College (GA)
Project: The proposed project will strengthen digital competencies and global learning at Agnes Scott College. The project will integrate community engagement, diverse digital activities, experiential learning, and professional success into Agnes Scott’s signature SUMMIT core curriculum and across majors. To achieve these goals, Agnes Scott College will: (1) Equip four dedicated high-technology classrooms to facilitate project-based learning and enable Agnes Scott students to develop the intercultural competencies and problem-solving skills needed for careers in the global economy that impact and improve Georgia communities. (2) Equip four dedicated high-technology classrooms to facilitate project-based learning and virtual domestic and international exchange. (3) Purchase the equipment and software licenses necessary to transform the Center for Digital and Visual Literacy into a technology laboratory where students learn to develop and apply digital tools, including data visualization, film and multimedia production, and virtual reality to enhance workforce readiness. (4) Equip a new student-operated studio space within the Center for Digital and Visual Literacy. (5) Create a technology support fund to provide Agnes Scott students from under-resourced backgrounds with access to the tablets and laptop computers needed to participate in internships, fieldwork, and collaborative engagement with community partners in metro Atlanta. The project represents a good use of taxpayer dollars because it will prepare the future workforce of Georgia with the career-relevant digital skills they need for professional success at organizations and businesses in Georgia.
Funded Amount: $1,024,940 Requesters: Rep. Nikema Williams, Sen. John Ossoff, Sen. Raphael Warnock
Utica University (NY)
Project: Utica University Crime Lab – The project will be used to create a proposed 1,200 square foot crime laboratory to provide an open floor plan space that will support a full-range of crime scene investigation activities. This funding is a good use of taxpayer resources since it will improve the collection of digital evidence which is become an increasingly important part of most criminal investigations. The collection of digital evidence has a number of implications for and impacts the collection of physical evidence at a crime scene. Techniques for retrieving digital evidence may damage or alter physical evidence. Similarly, collecting physical evidence can damage digital evidence. The National Institutes for Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and guidelines on digital incident response and evidence collection are silent on the impact on physical evidence. In addition, the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) standards on physical evidence do not sufficiently address the impacts of physical evidence collection on digital evidence.
Funded Amount: $717,000 Requesters: Rep. Claudia Tenney, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Bellarmine University (KY)
Project: The Simulation Training Center will expand the reach of Bellarmine’s existing Simulation Laboratory. In addition to serving current Bellarmine students, the university plans to use the center to serve K-12 students interested in pursuing health careers and to provide professional-development opportunities for federally qualified health center staff and other regional healthcare practitioners. The federal funding secured by Yarmuth will allow Bellarmine to purchase medical simulation technology, hire and train faculty, support partnerships with the community, and assist students.
Funded Amount: $1,000,000 Requesters: Rep. John Yarmuth (Retired)
New England College (NH)
Project: This project will be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it would be used to expand New England College’s capacity to educate and prepare highly trained nursing professionals. New Hampshire, much like the rest of the country, is facing a serious health care workforce shortage that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The renovation of the 35,250 square foot science facility at New England College will help allow the school to increase their program capacity from 40 students per cohort to 120 per cohort, tripling the number of Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNAs) and BSN-trained Registered Nurses. This is critical to address the important need for more health care professionals.
Funded Amount: $2,000,000 Requesters: Rep. Annie Kuster, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
Hood College (MD)
Project: Hood College Biomedical Research and Training Center – building on their strength and growth in the sciences, as well as their partnerships with regional industry, Hood College plans to establish a Biomedical Research and Training Center. In addition to providing STEM training opportunities for Hood College students across a variety of majors and disciplines, the Center will serve students from other regional schools as well as the employees of regional companies. Programming will include weekend or week-long workshops; bridge courses to prepare graduate students for advanced research; and programming focused on the development of specific high-demand skills defined by our industry partners. It will also foster apprenticeships and student internships with regional industry partners. Federal funds will be used to stand up the Center, including technology and supplies for office and lab spaces, curriculum development, research, student and faculty stipends, and training services.
Funded Amount: $610,000 Requesters: Rep. David Trone, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Sen. Ben Cardin
Berry College (GA)
Project: To assist Berry College in expanding its a state-of-the-art High-Fidelity simulation (HFS) lab where students can practice and refine critical skills. HFS allows nursing educators to create real-life hospital scenarios where students can safely simulate what happens in a hospital but done so under carefully-controlled conditions and where monitored by the instructor.
Funded Amount: $964,000 Requesters: Sen. Raphael Warnock
Anna Maria College (MA)
Project: Anna Maria College (AMC) requested community project funding to upgrade the clinical simulation lab for nursing, paramedic, and other health professional training and education. Funding will primarily cover the necessary construction and renovation costs to expand the space, allowing for the installation of a fundamental skill lab, obstetrics and gynecology skill lab, pediatric skill lab, paramedic skill lab, and ambulance box. Additionally, funding will go toward the purchasing of technology and equipment such as high-fidelity simulators, exam equipment, vital sign and monitoring equipment, and other needs that will be necessary to ensure an optimal training experience for the future health professional workforce of MA-02 and beyond. With AMC serving as a leader in the region for training and producing qualified health professionals, this funding request will benefit the community in ensuring that AMC can continue serving the region’s growing medical workforce needs.
Funded Amount: $1,000,000 Requestors: Rep. Jim McGovern
Spring Hill College (AL)
Project: Spring Hill College has been awarded $35 million as part of Senator Richard Shelby’s final funding effort on behalf of his constituents after more than 44 years of representing Alabama citizens in the United States House and Senate. This appropriation will be used to construct a state-of-the-art nursing and health sciences building as the College works to provide solutions to address current and future nursing shortages while also stimulating science education for future generations of SHC graduates.
This Omnibus spending bill package represents a substantial investment in the Mobile region and the state of Alabama. According to Senator Shelby, Mobile benefits greatly from Omnibus, with about $650 million of funding coming to the Port City. In addition to Spring Hill College, the Omnibus provides additional investments that greatly impact the Mobile and Spring Hill College communities: $200 million for the Alabama State Port Authority (ASPA), which Spring Hill College supports through alumni of its Business Division, specifically those graduates of the Supply Chain Management program. Another $200 million is slated to enhance projects to better connect ASAP’s intermodal container service between Mobile and Birmingham, and $50 million to support historic projects in downtown Mobile.
Funded Amount: $35,000,000 Requesters: Sen. Richard Shelby (Retired)
Juniata College (PA)
Project: Juniata College’s One Health Initiative – The funding is used for improving public health and education by integrating community engagement, computational sciences (e.g. data science, bioinformatics), biotechnology research discoveries, ecology, environmental science, and epidemiology to address challenges and research gaps associated with tickborne diseases.