Dr. Nancy K. Grant along with Dr. David H. Hoover, is a founding co-director of The Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security Policy Research at The University of Akron. Following the passage of the SARA Title III: Emergency Response Planning and Community Right-to-Know in 1986, Drs. Hoover and Grant were involved in training around the state of Ohio to inform Medical professionals, public health personnel, and public safety responders how to prepare to deal with the dangers of hazardous materials and potential disasters. Much of these efforts found their way into a co-authored book entitled: SARA Title III: Intent and Implementation of Hazardous Materials Legislation. As training demands shifted with the Nunn, Lugar Domenici Act related to terrorism preparedness, Drs. Grant and Hoover worked with the State of Ohio in 1998 to establish the training benchmark necessary and then in 2002 headed the Governor's Terrorism Task Force initiative to assess training and equipment needs across the state.

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   Other research has included after action reports on the crash of United Flight 93 in Shanksville Pennsylvania on 9/11/2001, The Medina Steam Engine Explosion in Ohio in 2002 and the Fort Worth Tornado in 2000. Throughout her career, Dr. Grant has continued to focus on assessing and achieving training needs of fire fighters and other emergency responders. Dr. Grant is Professor Emeritus of Public Administration and Urban Studies at The University of Akron and currently works as a consultant in the area of emergency preparedness and fire fighter safety.