The U.S. Congress is accepting congressionally directed funding requests (formerly referred to as earmarks) after an eleven year pause. McAllister & Quinn has long-standing expertise in government relations and in working with colleges and universities to secure congressionally directed funding for strategic projects. McAllister & Quinn provides guidance about connecting with congressional delegations and the development of competitive ideas.

 McAllister & Quinn’s capacity benchmarking analysis is designed to comprehensively evaluate an institution’s current capabilities and performance in various domains, such as research, funding, and collaboration, relative to its peers and aspirational counterparts. The analysis identifies strengths and areas for improvement, providing actionable insights and strategic recommendations to enhance the institution’s competitiveness and effectiveness.

McAllister & Quinn can help your institution prepare and negotiate a federally negotiated indirect cost rate. A negotiated rate can amount to thousands of dollars allocated to the institution per federal award, and hundreds of thousands of dollars over time. Indirect cost dollars, to be allocated at an institution’s discretion, can help fund operational costs related to maintaining and supporting a grants culture on campus.

McAllister & Quinn works with colleges and universities to conduct grants operation assessments tailored to the institution’s specific needs. These assessments entail a comprehensive evaluation of existing grant administration systems and documented policies/procedures, followed by personalized recommendations for adopting evidence-based best practices in grants management.

The McAllister & Quinn faculty development model was created with faculty and staff at teaching institutions in mind.  McAllister & Quinn professional development offerings appeal to a range of faculty and staff at different experience levels. McAllister & Quinn offers tailored and comprehensive faculty development programs, as well as monthly webinars, on a variety of topics that aim to help faculty and staff improve their grant seeking approach and learn more about funding opportunities.

McAllister & Quinn partners with Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP (FTLF), a DC-based grants compliance and post-award legal firm, to deliver training on higher education post-award processes and compliance. Post-award training increases institutional capacity and confidence to manage millions of dollars in federal funding and anticipate funder questions in the post-award stage of grants.