Hood College Of Frederick, Maryland

Hood College of Frederick, Maryland, a private non-profit educational institution based in Frederick, Maryland, acts as a federal grant recipient and, since May 2023, as a federal contractor, delivering research support services and workforce-development instruction in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing to civilian and defense agencies. The college operates exclusively as a prime recipient and contractor (100% prime footprint); it does not subcontract to other vendors and carries no set-aside designations.

Hood College's federal footprint centers on competitive research grants and educational partnerships rather than commercial contracting. The National Institute of Standards and Technology leads by award count with thirteen awards, including a $2.475 million Project Grant awarded September 1, 2026, under the Congressionally Identified Construction Grants program (CFDA 11.071) to build and equip the Biomedical Research and Training Center for high-demand biotechnology instruction; a $115,206 Cooperative Agreement awarded September 1, 2022, to develop optical design and spectroscopy for a terahertz scattering near-field optical microscope system supporting semiconductor nanoscale characterization; and a biologicalcontrol cooperative agreement awarded September 1, 2026, supporting a spotted-wing drosophila control program in the mid-Atlantic. The Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education has funded six awards totaling $1 million in potential value, including a $610,000 Project Grant (CFDA 84.116) awarded June 1, 2023, to establish the Biomedical Research and Training Center, and a $390,000 grant awarded June 1, 2023, to establish the Data Driven Frederick Research Center. The National Science Foundation funds instruction and curriculum development, including a $999,850 Project Grant awarded September 15, 2025 (CFDA 47.084), for an immersive synthetic biology and biomanufacturing training program serving Hood College, Frederick Community College, and Hagerstown Community College through August 31, 2028, and a Project Grant awarded July 15, 2024, supporting collaborative curriculum development in edge artificial intelligence and Internet of Things. The Department of the Army Installation Management Command Northeast Region and the Defense Health Agency account for the three largest single awards by potential value: a $194,312 firm fixed-price purchase order from the Defense Health Agency awarded May 15, 2023, for GEMS Program Support Services and logistics, extending through May 19, 2027, marks the college's principal federal contract vehicle outside grant-funded work.

Recent award activity has declined from a peak of three awards in 2023 to two awards in 2026 (one contract, one grant). Four awards carrying combined potential value of $194 thousand reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months and therefore face recompete exposure. Across its portfolio, Hood College's capability profile emphasizes research support in optical spectroscopy and semiconductor instrumentation, biotechnology workforce development through hands-on laboratory instruction and industry partnerships, artificial intelligence curriculum development for edge computing and IoT systems, postsecondary institutional reform and center-building in applied life sciences, and defense logistics support. The college serves nineteen distinct federal customer agencies, with no single agency dominating the potential-value concentration; the portfolio reflects a research-university operating model rather than a commercial contractor footprint.