American University

American University, a private nonprofit research university headquartered in Washington, DC, operates as a prime recipient of federal grants and a prime contractor for research, education, and professional development services across civilian and defense agencies. The university competes full-and-open without SBA set-aside certifications, drawing 95% of its recent award volume from prime positions.

American University's federal footprint centers on research and workforce development. The institution serves as a significant grant recipient from NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health, conducting scientific research in astrophysics, solar physics, planetary science, atmospheric modeling, and health disparities. Concurrent with research, the university delivers leadership development training, executive coaching, and specialized instruction to federal agencies through standalone contracts and indefinite delivery vehicles. Representative prime work includes a $3.41 million cooperative agreement with NASA for the District of Columbia Space Grant Consortium STEM education program (FY 2025–2028), a $1.75 million Department of Education grant for the Cultivating Inquiry Through Vital Historical Documents in the Classroom (CIVIC) Seminars professional development initiative (FY 2025–2026), and a $1.69 million NASA research grant for infrared and visible spectrometer and imaging array development for planetary observations (FY 2024–2029). Training work spans a $618.6 thousand Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency purchase order for professional and management development training, a $780 thousand West Point Military Academy contract for cadet housing during the Academic Individual Advanced Development program, and multiple blanket purchase agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs for customized workforce training valued at $200 thousand each.

Customer concentration splits between research and training missions. NASA's Shared Services Center leads by award count (143 awards, $36.9 million potential value), but the Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration dominates potential-value ranking at $30 million across 16 awards. The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency places 31 awards worth $6.2 million combined. Social Security Administration trails with 101 awards but lower dollar value at $1.9 million, reflecting the institutional mix of high-value research grants and lower-value training purchase orders. The top five customers account for 28% of awards but 63% of combined potential value—indicating concentrated dollar exposure to NASA and DHS alongside distributed training revenue.

American University's vehicle portfolio reflects its dual mission. The GSA Multiple Award Schedule carries 61 task orders valued at $34.5 million—the university's largest vehicle position—supporting leadership training and professional development delivery. A Human Resources & Equal Employment Opportunity Services vehicle shows 175 task orders at $3.8 million combined value, anchoring the high-volume, smaller-order training business. Single-award indefinite delivery contracts with the Naval Education and Training Command (valued at $1.189 million) and blanket purchase agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Council of the Inspectors General provide standing ordering authority for customized instruction. The university also holds positions on The Professional Services Schedule (15 task orders, $9 million) for consulting and advisory services.

Activity has averaged 58–90 awards annually over the past five years, with 2024 peaking at 90 awards before declining to 19 in 2026 (partial-year data as of October 2026). The university faces 63 awards totaling $5.2 million in combined potential value set to complete within the next twenty-four months, representing moderate recompete exposure concentrated in research grants and training contracts. Recent obligation data (FY 2025 onward) shows $384.2 million in obligated funds against $124.4 million combined potential value across all awards, indicating substantial past-performance funding and multi-year grants in execution.

Service Contract Inventory data shows minimal federal service-contract activity above the $150 thousand reporting threshold—only $536 thousand SCI-reportable invoicing in FY 2025 across seven records—reflecting the university's concentration in research grants and training purchase orders, which fall outside SCI scope. Workforce trajectory from SCI records shows 3.1 FTEs in FY 2022 and 7.0 FTEs in FY 2025 across captured contracts, but this SCI subset understates total federal staffing, which encompasses faculty researchers, administrative support, and instructional personnel across the full portfolio.

The university operates 95% of awards as prime contractor and 5% as grant subrecipient, with no significant prime subcontracting footprint in the source data. Named grant sub-award roles include research collaboration under prime awards from Brown University, University of Michigan, George Mason University, and other research institutions where American University faculty contribute to larger federally-funded studies. Corporate structure lists Airlie Foundation as a subsidiary, though the source provides no detail on its federal contracting role.

American University competes across Federal Register full-and-open procurements rather than pursuing set-aside categories. Its competitive strength rests on established reputation as a research institution, GSA schedule positioning for training procurement, and direct relationships with agencies through standing indefinite delivery vehicles. The university's federal strategy emphasizes research grant leadership with faculty investigators and high-volume training delivery through institutional course offerings, positioning it as both an intellectual capital provider to federal science missions and a workforce development partner to civilian agencies managing leadership and technical skill development.