North Dakota University System

The North Dakota University System, headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, is a comprehensive public higher education institution that serves as a major research and educational entity for the federal government. Operating through multiple campuses including the University of North Dakota, Bismarck State College, and other regional institutions, the system provides research, development, educational services, and specialized technical expertise across diverse domains including aerospace, energy, advanced engineering, healthcare, and STEM education. The system maintains a strong track record of federal contracting and grant management, with its parent organization registered in SAM.gov since July 2010 and holding federal contract prime awardee status.

Through federal contract awards, the North Dakota University System has demonstrated substantial capacity in research and development services across multiple agencies. The system has received significant contracts from the National Institutes of Health, including a $19.95 million Other Transaction Agreement for developing a Decentralized Diabetes Data Platform for Senior Health Management, awarded to the University of North Dakota in August 2025. The Department of the Army awarded Bismarck State College a $97,096.88 purchase order for planning and delivering a STEAM summer camp for military youth, while the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service contracted Bismarck State College for Commercial Driver's License training at $6,595. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded the University of North Dakota a $250,000 purchase order for research on electro-regeneration of PFAS-laden adsorbents under the SERDP program. Additionally, the system received a $3.5 million definitive contract from the Army Corps of Engineers' Engineer Research and Development Center for integration of predictive modeling computation with supercomputing capabilities into extreme cold weather research cyberinfrastructure. The Department of Navy issued multiple delivery orders for tuition and fees totaling over $75,000, while the Department of Energy's Western Area Power Administration awarded Bismarck State College $18,671.22 for craft training. The University of North Dakota received a $14.875 million Other Transaction Agreement from TACOM Life Cycle Management Command for design, testing, and virtual integration of a prototype hydrogen fuel cell system into a vehicle. These awards span firm fixed-price purchase orders, cooperative agreements, and indefinite delivery vehicles, with no small business set-asides utilized, demonstrating the system's status as a primary contractor for complex federal research and development initiatives.

Through federal grant awards, the North Dakota University System has established itself as a leader in research, education, and workforce development across multiple discipline areas. The system has received substantial funding from the National Science Foundation, including a $465,000 REU Site award for training undergraduate students in biosciences and gene regulation, a $299,999 project grant for engineering education in rural communities, and grants for quantum information science and technology, data synthesis frameworks for edge AI applications, and STEM education initiatives totaling over $800,000. The National Institutes of Health has awarded the system significant funding, including $1.999 million for a Research Traineeship program on sustainable water and land resource management, and project grants ranging from $300,000 to over $1.9 million for biomedical and clinical research including studies on Lyme disease neuroborreliosis, cardiovascular regulation, and epigenomics of development and disease. The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $942,474 for strengthening undergraduate nursing education focused on older adults and rural populations. The Department of Education provided $416,200 for the Student Support Services Program and $298,028 for Indian Education initiatives. NASA awarded $3.41 million for the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium LEGENDARY program supporting STEM workforce development, and cooperative agreements for research on bioregenerative life support systems for Artemis missions ($750,000) and various space-related scientific investigations. The Department of Energy provided substantial funding for carbon management and hydrogen research projects totaling over $14.5 million through cooperative agreements focused on enhanced oil recovery, carbon dioxide injection feasibility studies, and hydrogen production from biomass and construction waste. The Small Business Administration awarded $350,000 to support the Veterans Business Outreach Center program. The Department of Defense provided $334,335.41 for the APEX Accelerator procurement technical assistance program. Additional grants from SAMHSA for addiction technology transfer centers, the Department of Justice for brain injury screening and suicide prevention programs, and various other agencies demonstrate the system's comprehensive role in addressing national priorities in education, health, and workforce development, with many awards involving tribal partnerships and rural community focus.

The North Dakota University System holds a $9,022,898 Other Transaction Agreement Indefinite Delivery Vehicle awarded by the U.S. Army Materiel Command's Research Development and Engineering Command in September 2023. This IDV, issued to the University of North Dakota's Division of Research & Economic Development without small business set-asides, establishes a framework for the design and development of up to one hundred (100) enabled handheld optical inspection systems capable of real-time chemical and biological detection with ultraviolet-C prototype technology. The contract enables the Army Materiel Command to issue task orders for progressive development and refinement of optical inspection system technology designed to support chemical and biological detection and deactivation operations. Additionally, the system benefits from a $147,050,000 multiple-award Indefinite Delivery Vehicle with the U.S. Navy for Naval Community College Partnerships, which provides a platform for task order issuance across educational and training initiatives. These IDVs provide the system with flexible, incremental project execution capabilities across multiple technical phases, allowing for scalable development and refinement of mission-critical technologies. The indefinite delivery structure positions the North Dakota University System as a preferred institutional partner for federal agencies requiring sustained research and development capabilities, specialized educational services, and advanced technology solutions across defense, energy, healthcare, and space sectors.