Arizona State University

Arizona State University's Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Administration (Orspa), operating as a division of the university, serves as the federal research and grant administration function for a public research institution, capturing and managing a portfolio spanning research contracts, research grants, cooperative agreements, and educational partnerships across 287 federal agencies. Orspa operates as the administrative and contracting entity through which ASU holds prime and sub-prime positions across the full spectrum of federal R&D funding, with particular concentration in basic and applied research sponsored by NSF, NASA, NIH, and Department of Defense entities.

Orspa's federal award footprint encompasses 6,891 total awards (prime and sub combined) valued at $1.02 billion in combined potential value, though obligated dollars of $6.11 billion reflect multi-year drawdowns on long-standing cooperative agreements and indefinite delivery vehicles. The portfolio shows significant research intensity: the top five customer agencies—NSF (1,783 awards), NASA Shared Services Center (635 awards, $207.6 million), NIH (212 awards, $5.2 million), Navy Office of Naval Research (140 awards, $2.8 million), and NASA Headquarters (139 awards, $55.2 million)—account for 42% of award counts and 42% of potential value. Activity in the past five years reveals growth from 385 awards in 2022 to a peak of 594 in 2024, with 2025-2026 showing 529 combined awards, indicating sustained research pipeline momentum. Recompete exposure totals $65.1 million across 510 awards completing within the next twenty-four months.

Orspa's role is distinctly that of a research administration division within a state-controlled, public research university designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Unlike commercial federal contractors, the division does not "sell" services in the traditional sense; rather, it administers federal funding flowing to ASU faculty and research teams across disciplines spanning space science, engineering, materials research, biomedical sciences, artificial intelligence, environmental studies, and education. The division operates as a pass-through entity holding prime awards and managing subcontract relationships where ASU faculty or departments lead research efforts. Recent representative prime work includes a $19.999 million definitive contract with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center for the Artemis Infrared Reflectance and Emission Spectrometer (AIRES) payload (cost-no-fee, Nov. 2028 completion), an $8.463 million firm fixed-price contract with the Office of the Secretary of Defense for graduate-level Strategic Thinkers Program curriculum delivery through July 2029, a $809 thousand ESTCP project with the Army on enzyme-induced calcium carbonate precipitation for arid-land stabilization (Aug. 2029 completion), a $4.78 million NIH grant for AI-enhanced tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing (LVSIM2.0), and multiple NSF CAREER awards in materials science, photonics, artificial intelligence applications, and quantum computing ranging from $150 thousand to $783 thousand over five-year periods.

The vendor operates as a 90% prime, 10% sub split, meaning ASU-led research teams control the majority of the portfolio. SCI-reported service contract activity is minimal ($147 thousand across 21 records, FY2022–FY2024), reflecting that Orspa's primary function is administering research grants and cooperative agreements rather than service delivery contracts above the $150,000 reporting threshold. Median government-paid hourly rates on SCI prime contracts reached $763.97/hr, consistent with senior research and administrative labor. The portfolio carries no set-asides; ASU competes full-and-open across all federal agencies. Sub-engagement across SCI-reportable primes shows 0% sub-hours share, indicating research work is performed directly by ASU personnel rather than outsourced to named subcontractors, though the 10% sub-prime split shows ASU does serve as subcontractor to other lead universities on collaborative research initiatives. Named sub-prime roles include participation as collaborator or investigator on grants led by Oregon State University (NASA HEAT evaluation), University of Washington (ALACRITY Center), University of Wisconsin (post-data analysis on biodiversity research), and multiple other research institutions, reflecting the collaborative, distributed structure of federally-funded academic research.

Orspa's corporate identity is as a child entity of Arizona State University parent (UEI HX59VKHQH1V7), a state-controlled institution of higher learning. The division manages award administration, contracting, compliance, and grant management functions on behalf of the university's colleges, schools, and research centers. Activity trajectory shows sustained volume with recent moderation (2026 year-to-date capture at 105 awards reflects incomplete data for the current calendar year). The portfolio's density in NSF (basic research, R&D services, STEM education) and NASA (space science and Earth science) reflects ASU's institutional positioning as a premier research university with significant capacity in materials science, engineering, computational methods, and astrophysics.