To support a university client’s multi-million-dollar investment in a new, interdisciplinary Coastal Sustainability Initiative, Lewis-Burke developed a multi-prong federal relations strategy to raise the profile of the new associated Institute and position the university for federal funding opportunities in sustainability research. As part of the execution of this strategy, Lewis-Burke worked with relevant Members of Congress to host a briefing on Capitol Hill showcasing the university’s expertise in sustainability and featuring the participation of several leadership officials at key funding agencies. This event also served as a platform for promoting authorization legislation focused on federal programs that support coastal resilience and sustainability research. Concurrently, Lewis-Burke worked directly with research faculty on campus to help position the university for success in competing for a variety of federal funding opportunities. This aspect of the strategy leveraged Lewis-Burke’s ability to facilitate high-level agency meetings and contribute to the development of white papers and other promotional materials. Finally, Lewis-Burke used its ability as a convener to assist the client in launching a university consortium focused on sustainability research. This helped widen the reach of the initiative and engaged key Members of Congress and their staffs in a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill which Lewis-Burke organized. These actions collectively enabled the university to raise the profile of the new sustainability initiative among its peer institutions, key decision-makers at federal agencies, and Members of Congress.
