Old Dominion University

Old Dominion University, a state-controlled public research institution based in Norfolk, Virginia, delivers educational services and federally funded research to the Department of the Navy, the National Institutes of Health, and sixty-seven other federal agencies as a prime recipient and sub-recipient of federal grants and contracts. The university competes on a full-and-open basis with no SBA set-aside designations, operating through Old Dominion University Research Foundation (ODURF) as its fiscal and administrative agent for sponsored research and contract work.

The university's federal footprint splits sharply between contract work and grant-funded research. On the contract side, Old Dominion University holds a $147.05 million indefinite delivery contract with the Department of the Navy for United States Naval Community College Partnerships, under which 97 task orders have been issued for tuition and fee support for Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps midshipmen and educational services; recent delivery orders include a $495,875 call for annual-term tuition and fees (May 2025) and a $67,047 call for tuition and fees (August 2026). The university also holds a Basic Ordering Agreement with the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery extending through February 2035 for medical student training services, with an $800,000 ceiling under a separate BPA with Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences covering medical examination training through April 2029. Smaller Navy-related calls include $256,882 for NROTC retroactive tuition (March 2026) and $462 for a recruiting job fair booth (January 2026). Educational services and tuition support dominate the contract portfolio, reflecting the university's primary role as an educational partner to naval commands.

Old Dominion University's federal research grant portfolio is substantially larger in scope and dollar magnitude. The National Institutes of Health and its component institutes fund the bulk of recent research activity: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded $1.63 million to investigate cardiac myosin-binding protein regulation in cardiomyopathy (July 2026), $1.57 million for desmosterol and B-cell functions in atherosclerosis (July 2026), and $450,000 for sleep fragmentation and atherosclerosis mechanisms (September 2024). The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded $1.322 million for pathogenic Rickettsia and macrophage mitochondrial manipulation (April 2026) and $157,982 for Listeria monocytogenes blood-brain barrier translocation (August 2026). The National Institute on Aging awarded $160,000 for 3D bioprinted mammary tissue models investigating age-related cellular dysfunction (September 2026). The National Institute of General Medical Sciences funded $580,064 for cobalt-mediated synthesis of bioactive triterpenoid natural products (June 2026) and $320,000 for cell membrane response to electrical stress using pulsed electric fields (June 2026). The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering awarded $337,381 for in situ microneedle-like depots for controlled drug delivery (July 2025). The National Institute on Drug Abuse funded $489,008 for endocannabinoid signaling against chemical threat agent lung injury (September 2025) and multiple awards for HIV and cocaine-mediated mechanisms. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research awarded $933,580 for immunomodulatory wound healing approaches (June 2026) and $583,826 for pre-vascularization of osteo-mucosal tissue models (August 2025). The Office of the Director (NIH) awarded $458,144 for 2-arachidonoylglycerol signaling in nitrogen mustard lung injury (June 2026) and $489,008 for endocannabinoid signaling against chemical threats (September 2025).

Beyond health sciences, the Department of Defense funds research in basic and applied science: the Office of the Secretary of Defense awarded $1 million for submerged piezoelectric ocean wave energy converters (April 2025), $800,000 for plasma-assisted combustion research (June 2023), and $558,200 for non-local electron kinetic fluid models in plasma combustion (May 2023). The Air Force Research Laboratory funded the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program ($465,027, August 2025) and awarded approximately $172,000 for single-crystal diffractometer infrastructure (April 2022). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $4.636 million for resilience-based coral reef restoration and bleaching-resistant coral nursery design in American Samoa (October 2025), with sub-recipients including the University of Hawaii and American Samoa Community College. The Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education funded workforce development and student support initiatives including $1.443 million for undergraduate modeling and simulation education (January 2024), $598,409 for veteran student success (October 2023), $530,990 for inclusive experiential learning (October 2025), and $391,201 for TRIO Student Support Services (September 2025). The Small Business Administration awarded $1 million for cybersecurity assistance to small businesses (August 2023) and $500,000 for small business development (August 2024).

Activity has averaged approximately 27 awards per year over the past five years (2022–2026), with 608 total prime and sub awards recorded in the source data spanning multiple decades. The top five customers by award count account for 51% of awards: the Department of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (102 awards, $486 thousand potential value), NASA (69 awards), the Department of the Navy Naval Education and Training Command (64 awards, $2.9 million potential value), the Department of the Navy (46 awards, $148.1 million potential value), and the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (32 awards). By potential dollar value, the concentration is tighter: the Department of the Navy dominates at $148.1 million combined potential across 46 awards, followed by Naval Sea Systems Command ($3 million across 15 awards), Naval Education and Training Command ($2.9 million across 64 awards), and smaller Navy sub-components. Thirty awards with combined potential value of $464,000 complete within the next twenty-four months and face recompete risk.

Old Dominion University acts as a sub-recipient on education and workforce programs flowing from the Virginia State Board of Education (IDEA special education, school safety, preschool services) and as a sub-recipient on research collaborative efforts with Johns Hopkins University (occupational health and safety education on emerging technologies) and the University of Southern California (Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Consortium). The university receives sub-awards from federal programs administered through state pass-through agencies but does not hold named subcontracts with defense contractors; its role in the federal market is overwhelmingly as a prime educational and research institution rather than as a tier-two supplier.

The contract and grant portfolio reflects Old Dominion University's strategic position as a naval education and training partner and as a biomedical research institution supporting NIH intramural and collaborative research agendas. Educational services and tuition support—particularly for Navy personnel—form the stable, high-volume contract foundation. Federally funded research, concentrated in aging, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, materials science, and energy systems, anchors the university's research mission and draws funding from a broad base of federal agencies. The university competes without set-aside advantage and operates under a full-and-open procurement posture, positioning it as a direct competitor in open competition with other research universities and as a strategic educational provider to the Navy's personnel development infrastructure.