Ohio Aerospace Institute

Ohio Aerospace Institute, doing business as O A I, a tax-exempt nonprofit research and development organization headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, delivers aerospace research, propulsion systems engineering, computational aerodynamics, STEM workforce development, and technical consulting services to federal agencies as a prime contractor and grant recipient (99% prime, 1% sub), competing full-and-open without set-aside designations. OAI is a child entity of Parallax Advanced Research Corp, a parent nonprofit organization also based in Ohio.

OAI's customer base concentrates heavily on NASA and the Department of the Air Force. Across all awards in the source data, the top five funding entities account for 51% of total awards: NASA Glenn Research Center (131 awards, $98.8 million combined potential value), NASA Shared Services Center (56 awards, $25.7 million), the Air Force (12 awards, $115.3 million), the Air Force Materiel Command Research Laboratory (21 awards, $35.1 million), and GSA Federal Acquisition Service (5 awards, $10.3 million). By potential value, the Air Force anchors the portfolio at $115.3 million across 12 awards, while NASA Glenn Research Center contributes $98.8 million across 131 awards—a pattern indicating OAI secures high-value Air Force development contracts alongside numerous smaller NASA research and STEM engagement grants. The two rankings diverge meaningfully: the Air Force dominates dollars per award, while NASA Glenn dominates volume; together they represent 61% of combined potential value.

OAI's recent contract work spans propulsion and aerodynamics research, aircraft systems engineering, and aeroacoustics innovation. Representative examples include a $31.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee definitive contract awarded by the Air Force on August 15, 2023, for aeroscience collaborative research and development involving computational aerodynamics and multiscale unsteady flow simulations with completion through November 14, 2028; a $12.8 million firm-fixed-price definitive Air Force contract awarded September 22, 2023, for modular open-system control architecture for turbine engines (MOSCATE) with Ozark Integrated Circuits Inc. and General Electric Company as subcontractors, running through March 24, 2027; and a $3.41 million cooperative agreement from NASA awarded June 20, 2025, for STEM workforce development and industry-academia partnership initiatives. OAI also holds three GSA-issued vehicle positions: an Indefinite Delivery Contract (NNC07BA13B) with 29 task orders carrying $25.5 million combined potential value, an Indefinite Delivery Contract (FA865014D2410) with 8 task orders at $21.5 million, and an Indefinite Delivery Contract (FA865009D2945) with 7 task orders at $10.6 million. OAI maintains a GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract (47QRAA22D0062) with a $2 million ceiling through February 27, 2027, offering 16 labor categories spanning technicians through chief scientists at hourly rates from $55.19 to $329.88, requiring education from associate degrees to PhDs with up to twenty-five years of experience, and no security-cleared positions.

Federal grant work represents a material portion of OAI's activity. OAI acts as prime recipient on STEM engagement grants from NASA including a $1.05 million cooperative agreement awarded October 1, 2022, for the Stepping Stars multi-state middle and high school space grant program (completion June 30, 2026); a $1.1 million grant from a civilian federal agency for the Aviation Tech Workforce Development Program awarded September 1, 2024 (completion August 31, 2026); and a $3.41 million NASA cooperative agreement for STEM workforce initiatives (completion June 19, 2029). OAI also received a $500,000 Congressionally Directed Programs project grant from NASA under CFDA 43.014 awarded July 24, 2026, for an IBM and Miami Ohio University collaboration. Additionally, OAI received a $1.5 million NASA grant for the Ohio Aerospace Institute–Glenn Research Center Industry and Academia Partnership (completion June 30, 2025) designed to commercialize NASA intellectual property, broker connections between NASA Glenn and Northeast Ohio industry and universities, and develop incubator space. OAI acts as sub-recipient on a hydrogen workforce development program through University of Toledo and sub-contractor on Air Force Research Laboratory digital transformation initiatives.

Award activity has remained steady but modest in recent years: 9 awards in 2022, 8 in 2023, 5 in 2024, 5 in 2025, and 4 through July 2026. Four awards totaling $13 million reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, presenting recompete opportunity. OAI subcontracts on engineering services primarily through a GEARS vehicle (professional engineering, research, and scientific support) and on University of Dayton research optimization work. Across 523 total awards in the source data spanning since 1993, OAI has obligated $323.7 million (69% of $470.5 million combined potential value) and serves 24 distinct federal agencies, with work concentrated in space R&D services (185 awards), applied space R&D (48 awards), and national defense applied research (20 awards).