News
June 1, 2026
Industry Insights: Attain Partners on Library Services and Research Cost Recovery in NCURA Magazine
From Cost Center to Grant Partner: Unlocking Library Services as Allowable Direct Costs, by Hilary Craiglow, Cynthia Hudson Vitale, and Kathleen Halley-Octa
In the June/July 2026 edition of NCURA Magazine, Attain Partners’ Hilary Craiglow and Kathleen Halley-Octa examine how institutions can identify, document, and budget project-specific library services that may qualify as allowable direct costs under federal grant guidance.
About the Authors
Hilary Craiglow is a Senior Manager at Attain Partners, leading our team of library strategists to strengthen library systems. With extensive experience leading academic and research libraries, Hilary has a deep understanding of college and university systems. She is a strategic and visionary administrator, melding rich library traditions with innovative forward-thinking services. As a data and mission-driven leader, she employs proven evaluation and assessment methods and creates organizational transformation through empathy and partnership. Hilary helps library leaders achieve their mission faster, more efficiently, and with greater impact.
Kathleen Halley-Octa is a Manager at Attain Partners. Kathleen is an experienced research administrator who specializes in pre-award administration, training development, and eRA system implementation. Prior to joining Attain, Kathleen served as the Director of the Office of Research & Sponsored Projects for the College of Education & Human Development at Georgia State University, where she oversaw both pre- and post-award operations for the college’s research portfolio. While at GSU, she co-founded the Access to Careers in Research Administration Program, a cohort-based research administration training program for graduate students wishing to prepare for careers in research administration. Previously, she also worked as a departmental administrator in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and later ran Georgia Tech’s Research Admin Training Program. She has been an active member of NCURA since 2011 and has presented at both regional and national conferences.
