Charlotte Kirschner completed her doctoral work at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at The George Washington University. Her dissertation explores the impacts of the homeland security grants on public safety spending and preparedness. Her research interests include public budgeting, homeland security policy and intergovernmental relations. During her tenure at The George Washington University, Kirschner worked on research projects regarding measuring the costs of homeland security policies, budgeting for disasters and served as a project manager for Significant Features of the Property Tax, a study of the property tax as administered by the 50 states and the District of Columbia.