NAICS Industry Group 5417: Scientific Research and Development Services

Industry group

Definition

This industry group comprises establishments engaged in conducting original investigation undertaken on a systematic basis to gain new knowledge (research) and/or the application of research findings or other scientific knowledge for the creation of new or significantly improved products or processes (experimental development). Techniques may include modeling and simulation. The industries within this industry group are defined on the basis of the domain of research; that is, on the scientific expertise of the establishment.

Code facts

Codes under it
4
Contract awards
7,559 In the last 12 months
Contract obligations
$59,849,570,421 In FY2025

NAICS codes and definitions come from the U.S. Census Bureau and contract spending from SAM.gov/FPDS.

Contract obligations by fiscal year

Fiscal year Obligated
FY2027 To date $1,238,341,292
FY2026 $55,820,919,526
FY2025 $59,849,570,421
FY2024 $60,772,885,598
FY2023 $63,897,784,383

Top contractors by obligations

Rank Contractor Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 Share
1 Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC $3,599,619,943
2 California Institute Of Technology $2,072,569,936
3 The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC $1,994,938,392
4 Lockheed Martin Corporation UEI CWM4UN76ZQW8 $1,777,577,173
5 Raytheon Company $1,726,870,083
6 The Mitre Corporation $1,533,219,882
7 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology $1,501,749,199
8 Lockheed Martin Corporation UEI NGBVY5X32XZ5 $1,477,992,668
9 The Aerospace Corporation $1,147,585,663
10 Brookhaven Science Associates LLC $1,016,317,487

See the full FY2025 ranking of NAICS 5417 contractors, by parent company.

Top funding agencies by obligations

Rank Agency Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 Share
1 Air Force Department of Defense $12,692,652,185
2 Department of the Navy Department of Defense $8,624,961,400
3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration $6,598,808,564
4 Department of Energy $6,167,441,049
5 Department of the Army Department of Defense $5,772,430,577
6 Missile Defense Agency Department of Defense $5,133,016,340
7 Department of Health and Human Services $4,193,442,187
8 Office of the Secretary of Defense Department of Defense $3,767,036,928
9 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Department of Defense $976,537,398
10 Washington Headquarters Service Department of Defense $745,176,180
Rank PSC code Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 Share
1 AC32 National Defense R&D Services; Defense-Related Activities; Applied Research $6,333,853,535
2 AC13 National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense – Military; Experimental Development $6,090,029,133
3 R425 Engineering and Technical Services $5,801,495,275
4 M1HA Operation of Government-Owned Contractor-Operated (GOCO) R&D Facilities $4,638,163,685
5 AC12 National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense – Military; Applied Research $3,114,440,442
6 5840 Radar Equipment, Except Airborne $2,818,025,712
7 AR12 Space R&D Services; Space Flight, Research and Supporting Activities; Applied Research $1,722,373,557
8 AN12 Health R&D Services; Health Care Services; Applied Research $1,456,103,683
9 4470 Nuclear Reactors $1,274,719,958
10 AC33 National Defense R&D Services; Defense-Related Activities; Experimental Development $1,243,795,909

Contract obligations by state

Rank Place of performance Obligated, last 12 months Share
1 California $8,484,364,108
2 Virginia $8,372,601,674
3 Maryland $5,569,235,043
4 Alabama $5,367,423,845
5 Pennsylvania $4,508,667,755
6 Massachusetts $3,143,643,649
7 Colorado $3,053,713,550
8 New Jersey $2,960,465,416
9 Arizona $2,214,200,516
10 Ohio $1,711,704,398
11 New York $1,705,885,256
12 Texas $1,510,310,923
13 Illinois $1,093,021,255
14 District of Columbia $1,056,654,112
15 Florida $980,878,676
16 South Carolina $583,437,914
17 Georgia $564,521,496
18 North Carolina $479,511,564
19 New Mexico $422,637,344
20 Utah $354,624,863
21 Connecticut $260,615,954
22 Indiana $216,532,556
23 West Virginia $204,862,798
24 Tennessee $200,257,026
25 Washington $185,727,641
26 Michigan $156,585,052
27 Hawaii $142,764,370
28 Rhode Island $138,666,563
29 Minnesota $116,548,742
30 New Hampshire $114,481,512
31 Missouri $99,340,607
32 Oklahoma $78,319,288
33 Louisiana $75,402,766
34 Delaware $45,940,738
35 North Dakota $39,613,060
36 Mississippi $39,141,778
37 Alaska $35,904,479
38 Vermont $31,180,788
39 South Dakota $31,051,350
40 Nevada $29,909,420
41 Kentucky $27,969,965
42 Nebraska $26,801,687
43 Iowa $23,683,841
44 Oregon $17,315,855
45 Maine $16,004,746
46 Kansas $12,952,249
47 Wisconsin $10,126,711
48 Idaho $9,959,583
49 Montana $9,925,141
50 Arkansas $6,243,992
51 Wyoming $1,624,075
52 Guam $34,245
Show all 52

Shares are of everything obligated under NAICS 5417 in the last 12 months before deobligations, including work performed abroad or with no place of performance on record.

Contract opportunities

Notice Posted Due
NIMHD Randomized Controlled Trial Pre-Solicitation · National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH)
Notice of Intent To Award Sole Source WHOI REMUS Support Pre-Solicitation · Naval Sea Systems Command (Navy)
Space Data Network (SDN) Industry Consortium for Space-to-Space Communications Pre-Solicitation · Space and Missile Systems Center (AFSPC)
SAFE-PLASMA Protocol Pre-Solicitation
Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration (PROMISE) Mission Solicitation · Marshall Space Flight Center
Helmet-Mounted First-Person View Display System Special Notice · US Special Operations Command
Anzio Industry Day Special Notice · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
AN12--NOVOCYTE 3000 PM&R Services Intent to Sole Source Special Notice · Veterans Integrated Service Network 22 (VHA)
ERDC Watercraft and Ship Simulator Support Services Multiple Award Task Order Contract Solicitation · Engineer Research and Development Center (USACE)
EmbraceHEALTH Clinical Research Network (EmbraceHEALTH CRN) - Coordinating Center Pre-Solicitation · National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH)
SBX Development, Operations and Sustainment, Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity Limited / Sole Source Justification · Missile Defense Agency —
Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program Core Broad Agency Announcement Pre-Solicitation · Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity (USACE)
Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) Exploratory Development (SEED) Broad Agency Announcement Pre-Solicitation · Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity (USACE)
“The New Low-hanging Fruit - Making Chillers Cooler with Expansion Turbines” Award Notice · Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity (USACE) —
Future Program: Laguna Special Notice · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Service request for specimen embedding and sectioning. Special Notice · Shared Services Center
Request for Information: Flexoelectric Future Special Notice · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program FY 2027 Data Science Solicitation Solicitation · Federal Highway Administration
Support design and structural analysis for Hiwrap, MBARS, CRS and COSSIR instruments on the NASA WB57 aircraft Special Notice · Shared Services Center
Logistics Integrated Virtual Environment (LIVE) Platform Award Notice · Naval Facilities Engineering Command (Navy) —
EmbraceHEALTH Clinical Research Network (EmbraceHEALTH CRN) Pre-Solicitation · National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH)
Notice of Intent to Sole Source the Co-sponsorship of a Forum on Traumatic Brain Injury with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Special Notice
Mission System R and D Support for Blossom Point Tracking Facility (BPTF) Solicitation · Office of Naval Research (SECNAV)
Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition: HelioSwarm Medium-Class Explorers Mission (Contract 80ARC027C0002) Limited / Sole Source Justification · Ames Research Center —
Aremp and water sample analysis Award Notice · Oregon-Washington Region (BLM) —
Request for Information (RFI): Formal Learning and Abstractions for System Heterogeneity (FLASH) Special Notice · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act Data Coordination Center Solicitation · National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH)
DIA justification for other than full and open competition Limited / Sole Source Justification · Defense Intelligence Agency · J-FY27-0004 —
PFAS-Free Lubricating Brushes as Nanoscale Finishes for Next Generation Protective Ensembles Award Notice · Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity (USACE) —
DIA Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition Limited / Sole Source Justification · Defense Intelligence Agency · J-FY27-0008 —
RFI CNET Reverse Engineering and AI Pre-Solicitation · Air Combat Command (USAF)
CNET Emulation and Expertise Pre-Solicitation · Air Combat Command (USAF)
N65236927P0001 Award Notice · Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (Navy) —
Opportunity to collaborate using a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) Special Notice · Department of Energy
Unison Solicitation · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
NSEETS Contract Ceiling Increase for Continued NASA Support Pre-Solicitation · Goddard Space Center
Research, Measurement, Assessment, Design, and Analysis (RMADA) 3 IDIQ Award Notice · Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services —
Mathematical Algorithm Development and Computational Analysis in Support of MDA Flight Test Support Pre-Solicitation · Missile Defense Agency
DNA Sequencing Service Pre-Solicitation · Office of Logisitics and Acquisition Operations (NIH)
HelioSwarm Medium-Class Explorers Mission Contract Award Notice · Ames Research Center —
Request for Information (RFI) for a Cislunar Space System (CSS) Special Notice · Air Force
Area of Interest: OSW Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) Modeling and Simulation Solicitation · Washington Headquarters Service
DOL research study on unfair labor practices Solicitation · US Embassy Bogota (DOS)
Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System Increment II Cargo UAS Industry Demonstration Special Notice · Naval Air Warfare Center (NAVAIR)
Frameworks for Assessing the Impact of Extreme Weather Events at Environmental Restoration Sites Award Notice · Naval Facilities Engineering Command (Navy) —
FY27 FDA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Advanced Research and Development of Regulatory Science Special Notice · FDA Office of Acquisition and Grant Services
URGENT-BP-1 Lunar Regolith simulant Compressibility Testing Special Notice · Shared Services Center
System of systems Technology Integration Tool Chain for Heterogeneous Electronic Systems (STITCHES) Sources Sought Pre-Solicitation · Lifecycle Management Center (AFMC)
J&A_N0003026R3041_Redacted Limited / Sole Source Justification · Naval Strategic Systems Programs (Navy) —
Space Communications and Networking (SCaN) & Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRS) Support Pre-Solicitation · Marshall Space Flight Center
Show 40 more

Latest 50 of 55,970 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.

Codes under 5417

NAICS code
54171 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences NAICS industry
54172 Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities NAICS industry
541711 Research and Development in Biotechnology National industry
541712 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology) National industry

Quick answers

What is NAICS 5417?

NAICS 5417 is Scientific Research and Development Services, an industry group in NAICS 54, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services.

What codes are under NAICS 5417?

NAICS 5417 has 4 codes under it with their own GovTribe pages, including 54171 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences; 54172 Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities; and 541711 Research and Development in Biotechnology.

How much do federal agencies spend under NAICS 5417?

Federal contracts under NAICS 5417 obligated $59,849,570,421 in fiscal year 2025 and $241,579,501,220 in fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

Who are the largest contractors under NAICS 5417?

The contractors with the most obligated under NAICS 5417 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC ($3,599,619,943); California Institute Of Technology ($2,072,569,936); and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC ($1,994,938,392).

Which agencies buy the most under NAICS 5417?

The agencies that obligated the most under NAICS 5417 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are Air Force ($12,692,652,185), Department of the Navy ($8,624,961,400) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration ($6,598,808,564).

Which PSC codes are used with NAICS 5417?

The PSC codes with the most obligated under NAICS 5417 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are AC32 National Defense R&D Services; Defense-Related Activities; Applied Research, AC13 National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense – Military; Experimental Development and R425 Engineering and Technical Services.

Where is the work under NAICS 5417 performed?

By place of performance, the states with the most contract obligations under NAICS 5417 over the last 12 months are California ($8,484,364,108), Virginia ($8,372,601,674) and Maryland ($5,569,235,043).

What is the latest contract opportunity under NAICS 5417?

The latest contract opportunity under NAICS 5417 is NIMHD Randomized Controlled Trial, pre-solicitation from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH), posted November 10, 2026.

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See everything under NAICS 5417

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