North Central College

North Central College, doing business as Naperville College, is a nonprofit, tax-exempt private undergraduate institution based in Naperville, Illinois that receives federal research and education grants as a prime recipient across NSF, NIH, NEH, and Department of Education programs. The college does not hold federal contracts or seats on contract vehicles; it operates exclusively as a grant recipient with no subcontract activity. North Central College competes for and receives federal funding in the form of project grants supporting STEM education, undergraduate research, and curriculum development initiatives rather than as a government services contractor.

The college's federal footprint centers on NSF programs under the Division of Undergraduate Education (CFDA 47.076) and other research directorates. Recent representative awards include a five-year, $750,000 NSF project grant (Jan 2023–Dec 2028) for the Leadership Experience and Advancement Program in STEM, which provides scholarships and support services to 15 low-income, high-achieving undergraduate STEM transfer students; a five-year, $723,081 NSF project grant (Jun 2024–May 2029) titled "Commitment to Recruit, Educate, and Assist Teachers in Equity" (CREATE) that recruits and prepares 20 diverse STEM teachers through partnerships with community colleges and high-need school districts; and a $106,874 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships planning grant (Oct 2024–Sep 2025) for the AI Summer Institute on Communities, a collaboration with New York University to equip undergraduates with critical skills in ethical and equitable AI development. The college also holds a National Institute on Drug Abuse project grant (Aug 2024–Jun 2028) investigating cellular and circuit adaptations in opioid craving and a National Endowment for the Humanities planning grant (Jun 2023–May 2024) for building an interdisciplinary health humanities undergraduate minor.

NSF programs dominate the customer base—the Division of Undergraduate Education accounts for three awards, and NSF broadly represents five awards total (covering 69% of recent awards by count). Concentration is distributed across ten distinct federal agencies, with no single agency dominating by dollar volume. The college's total obligated federal funding across 16 awards is $16.8 million, reflecting a mix of research fellowships, curriculum development, and workforce-preparation initiatives. Activity is sparse and episodic—one award in 2021, one in 2022, two in 2023, three in 2024, and one in 2026—rather than sustained. Three awards face ultimate completion in the next twenty-four months, representing recompete opportunities in NSF education programs and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The college's federal role is that of an educational institution receiving competitive research and development grants to support undergraduate student success, STEM workforce development, and faculty research rather than as a vendor delivering services or goods to the federal government.