Iowa State University Of Science And Technology

Iowa State University Of Science And Technology, operating as Iowa State University, is a public 1862 land-grant research institution that acts as a prime recipient on federal research grants and contracts, with a substantial sub-award presence across government research programs. The university competes in full-and-open procurements without set-aside designations, serving primarily as a research partner and service provider to federal agencies rather than as a commercial vendor.

Iowa State's federal footprint centers on research and educational services across life sciences, agriculture, engineering, and physical sciences. The university conducts diagnostic and veterinary services under the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, manages research programs spanning genomics and materials science, and provides STEM education and outreach aligned with agency missions. Representative work includes a $25 million single-award IDIQ with USDA's Veterinary Services for diagnostic testing (awarded September 2026, running through August 2031), delivery orders for highly pathogenic avian influenza and pseudorabies virus testing under the NAHLN framework valued at $300,000 to $50,000 respectively, and a $250,000 Federal Highway Administration definitive contract for research and benchmarking of next-generation binder technologies for concrete construction.

Customer concentration is spread across federal research agencies rather than concentrated in procurement dollars. The National Science Foundation leads by award count with 987 awards, followed by the Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture with 678 awards. However, the Department of Energy's Office of Science dominates by combined potential value at $1.17 billion across 55 awards, while DoT Federal Highway Administration accounts for $74.3 million across 68 awards, and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services represents $62.3 million across 111 awards. This split—high award counts from NSF and NIFA but higher dollar values from DOE and modal agencies—reflects Iowa State's dual identity as both a high-volume research partner and a specialized diagnostic and veterinary service provider.

Activity shows volatility typical of research institutions. The university received 255 awards in 2023, peaked at 372 in 2024, then declined to 243 in 2025 and 159 in 2026, with only 3 awards recorded in 2027 (data snapshot date is October 2026, so 2027 captures only early-fiscal awards). A significant recompete cliff looms: 269 awards totaling $1.18 billion combined potential value reach ultimate completion within the next 24 months, representing substantial competition for renewal across NSF, NIFA, and specialized diagnostic programs.

Iowa State operates across a limited parent vehicle portfolio reflective of its role as a research institution. The university holds a position on IDIQ 12639521D0059 (56 task orders, $6.7 million combined potential value), the predecessor APHIS animal laboratory testing vehicle (45 task orders, $2.6 million), and a USDA Blanket Purchase Agreement (20 task orders, $10.7 million). These vehicles anchor the university's diagnostic and veterinary testing work. Unlike commercial contractors, Iowa State does not compete on broad GSA Schedules or government-wide services IDIQs; its vehicle positions are specialized to agricultural research, veterinary diagnostics, and NASA STEM engagement.

Service Contract Inventory activity is minimal and episodic—$1.6 million total SCI-reportable invoicing across FY2022–FY2025, with FTE delivery ranging from 0.3 to 2.8 FTEs depending on the fiscal year. This narrow SCI footprint reflects that most of Iowa State's federal activity consists of research grants, cooperative agreements, and specialized service contracts above or below the $150,000 SCI threshold, rather than labor-hour service contracts. When SCI reporting does occur, median government-paid rates run approximately $274/hr, with a range from $205/hr (10th percentile) to $343/hr (90th percentile), consistent with academic research labor. The university subcontracts at an average 11% share of hours on prime contracts and names one subcontractor in the available SCI data, indicating Iowa State typically builds delivery teams internally rather than relying on subcontractor supply chains.

The university's subcontract footprint shows Iowa State acting as a sub-recipient on research grants to University of Pennsylvania (NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research, supporting swine influenza surveillance), University of Illinois (CABBI sustainability and bioeconomy projects), and dozens of other research primes across NSF, NIH, USDA, and DOE programs. Sub-work ranges from computational modeling and genomic analysis to field studies and data synthesis—university-to-university research collaboration rather than commercial subcontracting. Notable sub-awards include work on polyploid genome fractionation (NSF-funded, recipient UCLA), artificial intelligence-driven permanent magnet discovery (DOE ARPA-E cooperative agreement), and distributed matrix computation (NSF collaborative project).

Federal grant work dominates Iowa State's portfolio. Recent awards include $2 million NSF cooperative agreement for the RuralStamina Biomanufacturing Engine in Iowa and Nebraska (bridging agricultural feedstocks and bioproducts manufacturing), $1.918 million DOE cooperative agreement for AI-driven permanent magnet discovery, $750,000 NASA STEM engagement cooperative agreement, $7.499 million NSF cooperative agreement for the same RuralStamina initiative, and approximately $11.3 million Hatch Act formula funding for agricultural research. The university also receives $20.4 million Smith-Lever Extension Funding for cooperative extension programming. These grants reflect Iowa State's statutory role as a land-grant institution and its standing as a national research leader in agriculture, veterinary medicine, engineering, and applied sciences.

The university's corporate structure lists four subsidiary entities, all operating under the Iowa State University Of Science And Technology legal name with minor variations in designation (1862 Land Grant College, Educational Institution, State Controlled Institution of Higher Learning). This structure is typical for land-grant universities and does not indicate separate operating divisions; all entities represent consolidated activity under one federal tax ID and one institutional identity.

Recompete risk is substantial. The 269 awards completing in the next 24 months ($1.18 billion combined potential value) will require competitive renewal or replacement across NSF research programs, NIFA agricultural research and extension funding, USDA diagnostic and veterinary services, and DOE science initiatives. For competitors, Iowa State represents a significant incumbent across academic research vehicles and specialized diagnostic services; for Iowa State, the cliff signals need to accelerate proposal development and award generation to sustain federal research volume.