Florida A & M University

Florida A & M University Division of Research, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and 1890 Land-Grant Institution headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, serves as a prime recipient of federal grants and as a contractor delivering research, education, and workforce development services to civilian and defense agencies. The university operates as a tax-exempt, state-controlled entity that does not compete under set-asides; federal awards to the Division of Research span educational services, applied research, cooperative agreements, and equipment grants across science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and agricultural sectors.

FAMU's federal capability portfolio centers on research and educational delivery in materials science, advanced manufacturing, additive technologies, quantum information science and engineering, biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences, agricultural innovation (particularly viticulture and precision agriculture), water resources and environmental management, forest health, nutritional education, and workforce pipeline development for underrepresented populations. Recent representative work includes a $3.75 million NSF CREST Phase II award for a Center for Complex Materials Design combining bioderived thermoplastics, flexible recyclable electronics, and advanced sensors through artificial intelligence and machine learning; a $10 million Army Materiel Command grant advancing warfighter functioning through biomanufacturing research through August 2031; and a $5 million NASA cooperative agreement on Integrative Space Additive Manufacturing workforce development running through September 2029. The university has also received $1.5 million from NSF for quantum information science and engineering research infrastructure and $4.99 million in NASA support for space-based additive manufacturing education and research.

Customer concentration is highly fragmented across 137 federal agencies, with the top tier anchored by the Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (200 awards) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (96 awards), followed by the National Science Foundation (75 awards), the Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education (61 awards), and the Department of the Army (24 awards representing $22 million in combined potential value). The Department of the Army Materiel Command and NASA's Shared Services Center each deliver $6 million to $10 million in recent award value. The Navy's Bureau of Naval Personnel issued 31 awards totaling approximately $1.4 million for NROTC midshipmen tuition and educational services. This distribution reflects FAMU's dual mission as both an educational institution and a research entity, with significant exposure to land-grant agricultural extension and basic research funding streams alongside traditional contract work.

FAMU holds positions on parent contract vehicles including Indefinite Delivery Contract N0014006G0013 (33 task orders, $5.1 million), Basic Ordering Agreement N0018919GZ013 (27 task orders, $1.3 million), and Indefinite Delivery Contract DAAD1903D0003 (10 task orders, $25.6 million with the Army). Most awards are structured as prime grants and cooperative agreements rather than fixed-price contracts; cooperative agreements with federal agencies like NASA, NSF, and USDA characterize much of FAMU's work. The university also operates a named subsidiary, Florida A & M University Research Foundation, Inc., which serves organizational and administrative functions.

Activity has moderated recently (67 awards in 2025 compared to 105 in 2024), with 83 awards totaling $1.5 million in combined potential value completing within the next twenty-four months, creating recompete exposure. Across nearly 1,300 total awards in the source data spanning 1991 to September 2026, FAMU has received approximately $1.38 billion in obligated funding. The university's federal footprint reflects sustained investment in HBCU research capacity, STEM workforce development, agricultural research and extension aligned with 1890 Land-Grant mission objectives, and cutting-edge materials and quantum science initiatives positioned to advance national science and engineering priorities.