Michigan State University

Michigan State University, operating through its Controller's Office, is a 1862 land-grant educational institution serving federal agencies as a prime recipient on research grants and cooperative agreements and as a prime contractor on federal research and training contracts. MSU competes predominantly in open channels rather than set-aside categories, with 99% of recent awards held as prime awards (666 of 671 total) and a minimal subcontractor footprint (5 sub-awards, representing 1% of the portfolio).

MSU's award footprint spans 57 distinct federal agencies across 671 total awards dating back to 1969, with significant concentration in defense and agricultural research. The top five customer agencies by award count account for 53% of recent awards: the Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (90 awards), the Department of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (79 awards, $12.9 million combined potential value), the Department of the Navy overall (70 awards), the Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (59 awards, $10 thousand combined potential value), and the Department of the Air Force (57 awards). When ranked by potential value, the Department of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery dominates with $12.9 million across 79 awards, followed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Center (7 awards, $1.9 million), the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services (17 awards, $1.1 million), the Department of the Navy Naval Education and Training Command (14 awards, $1.1 million), and the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (9 awards, $223 thousand). These top customers represent 31% of combined potential value across the full portfolio.

MSU places task orders under five named vehicles: Basic Ordering Agreement N0018910GZ022 (46 task orders, $9.7 million combined potential value), Indefinite Delivery Contract F0160079D0283 (39 task orders), Blanket Purchase Agreement AG6395B090018 (30 task orders, $1.5 million combined potential value), Basic Ordering Agreement N0060085G1750 (12 task orders), and Basic Ordering Agreement N0060084G6004 (11 task orders). MSU's capability portfolio centers on education and training delivery (177 awards under Education/Training— Tuition/Registration/Membership Fees PSC code), basic research in defense applications (31 awards under R&D— Defense Other), reference laboratory testing (31 awards), and research and development in life sciences and space applications. Representative work includes a State Department cooperative agreement to empower and equip female leaders of higher education in Pakistan for senior positions (ultimate completion December 2023, final obligated value $471,697 after de-obligation of unspent funds), a Department of Homeland Security latent fingerprint synthesis and matching project where Dr. Arun Ross served as principal investigator (sub-award via George Mason University, awarded March 2024), and a USDA Midwest Climate Hub partnership on climate-informed agricultural best management practices coordinating with Ohio State University, Central State, Purdue, and Wisconsin on training and dissemination (sub-award via Ohio State University, awarded May 2022).

Recent activity remains modest: five awards in 2019 declining to two awards in 2024 and one in 2021–2022, indicating a flattening trajectory. Combined potential value across all 671 awards reaches $55.9 million, though combined dollars obligated total $120.9 million (216% of potential value), reflecting a portfolio weighted toward baseline and renewal obligations exceeding stated ceilings. The Service Contract Inventory reports only one record in FY2022 (0 as prime, 1 as named subcontractor on an unnamed contract) with 3.8 FTEs, indicating minimal SCI-reportable service-contract activity and concentrated focus on education grants and research delivery rather than labor-hour federal services.